Killing of Muslim vendor in West Bengal highlights vulnerability of minority itinerant traders: Report
New Delhi: A fact-finding report into the killing of a Muslim street vendor in BJP-ruled West Bengal has warned that the incident reflects a wider pattern of insecurity and discrimination faced by itinerant traders from minority communities, where fear and suspicion have become part of daily life.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the report by the New Delhi-based Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) examined the killing of 45-year-old Akbar Ali Mondal, a hawker from Bankura district, who was beaten to death while selling household goods in a neighbouring district earlier this month.
The report said that Mondal confronted a customer who took goods without paying. Investigators said the man later returned carrying a stick and repeatedly struck the vendor, inflicting fatal head injuries before hiding the body inside a cattle shed.
Police have arrested the attacker, identified as Biswanath Mahato, and said a video of the assault recorded by a woman at the scene forms part of the ongoing investigation.
While the incident stemmed from a financial dispute, the fact-finding team said interactions with locals pointed to a deeper atmosphere of distrust toward Muslim hawkers and traders from outside the area.
It said several residents viewed Muslim street vendors with suspicion and treated them differently from local sellers, particularly those coming from neighbouring Muslim-majority areas.
The report also noted that a number of minority hawkers have stopped travelling to the region or returned to their native villages due to growing safety concerns.
The victim’s family fears religion may have played a role in the attack. His son, Zulfiqar Ali Mondal, told investigators that his father may have been targeted because he was a Muslim vendor from outside the village, while his widow described him as a hardworking man with no known enmity and said the family has lost its only source of income.
The APCR said the killing highlights the vulnerability of itinerant traders who lack institutional protection and economic security, warning that such incidents can discourage entire communities from continuing their traditional livelihoods.
The organization called for a fair and evidence-based investigation, protection of witnesses, preservation of evidence, and strict legal action against those responsible. The report also urged authorities to provide financial assistance, long-term livelihood support and educational aid to the victim’s family.
