I was scared that my child's nationality would change if he was born in Bangladesh, says heavily pregnant Sunali Khatun, 25, who recently returned to India after being deported to Bangladesh in June along with her husband and eight-year-old son.
Ms Khatun, from West Bengal, was detained in Delhi amid suspicions of illegal immigration, a claim that has been refuted by the West Bengal government, which accused the federal government of unlawfully deporting her.
The situation has led to nationwide criticism and highlighted a troubling trend as hundreds of alleged illegal immigrants have faced similar fates. The Indian Supreme Court has now intervened, asking for Ms Khatun's return on humanitarian grounds.
Deportations like Ms Khatun's have raised concerns among human rights groups, who argue that such actions disproportionately affect Bengali-speaking Muslims and occur without due process.
Echoing her emotional turmoil and identity crisis, Ms Khatun asks, We are not from Bangladesh, we are Indian. Why did they do this to us? This situation reflects wider issues of nationality, identity, and the impact of political action on innocent families.
