Bengalis are being systematically denied jobs in Bengal because of their ethnicity. While the above picture is just one example, a cursory glance at newspaper classifieds, job portals and even LinkedIn posts in Kolkata will bring to the fore job advertisements seeking non-Bengali, or only Hindi-speaking candidates for job roles based out of Bengal. 

It's important to understand that Bengalis constitute over 86% of the total population in West Bengal. Most Bengalis (like myself), cannot read or write Hindi. While we may understand Hindi to an extent, we don't know how to use the language in a formal setting like a job interview. Thus, bringing out racist job advertisements denying jobs on the basis of someone's ethnicity or not being able to speak Hindi is a crime. Related to this issue, is that many Bengalis are being labelled with racial slurs such 'Bangladeshis' in 'non Bengali' localities in Kolkata like Borobazaar and Salt Lake when they are speaking in Bengali. This racism has been going on for a long time, and yet, I'm appalled by the deafening silence from all quarters. 

After Hindi, Bengali is the second most spoken language in India. The National Anthem is written in Bangla by a Bengali. The National Song is written in Bangla by a Bengali. The National Flag was first unfurled in Calcutta and is based on the 'Bande Mataram' flag which was designed by Bengalis. The very ethos of India is intricately tied with Bengal and Bengalis. And yet, nearly 100 million Indian Bengalis are being treated like second class citizens. 

People are well aware of the large scale migration of both skilled and unskilled Bengali talent out of Bengal. Advertisements like these point to a more sinister aspect of this migration that is rarely discussed: many educated Bengalis are being denied jobs in Bengal because of their ethnicity. Unless and until a social movement is built around the idea that denying Bengalis jobs in their own homeland is unethical and racist, the problem of out-migration from Bengal could never be solved.