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Caught between identity, survival: Tale of a Gurugram exodus

The Gurugram Police drive began around July 7, in line with several similar such initiatives across the country, including in Delhi.

Updated on: Jul 30, 2025, 04:49:41 IST

By Leena Dhankhar, Dhrubo Jyoti

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For Rashida Bibi, Fridays are virtually luxurious. That day, one of the families she works for gives her a weekly break, another makes work trips to Delhi so they leave early, and a third hosts an event so they hire specialised staff. That means instead of 5.30am, she wakes up at a leisurely 8am. Her sore muscles are allowed some rest, her chai simmers longer, and her trip to the market is more of a canter and not the usual

Over the past week, nearly 1,000 families of Bengali-speaking migrant workers have packed up and left Gurugram in hired trucks and buses. (HT Photo)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

...Read MoreLeena Dhankhar is the Bureau Chief of the Gurugram bureau at Hindustan Times, where she covers crime, excise, civic agencies, forests and wildlife, real estate, and politics. With over a decade of experience at the organisation, she has reported some of the region’s most impactful stories, known for her deep investigative work and on-ground reporting. Leena has extensively covered major crime cases, systemic lapses and financial irregularities, often exposing civic agency failures and prompting administrative action. Her journalism is driven by accountability, public interest, and a commitment to highlighting issues that shape everyday life in Gurugram. Read Less

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

...Read MoreDhrubo Jyoti is Deputy Executive Editor at Hindustan Times, where they help oversee the newspaper’s daily news and opinion coverage. They are part of the leadership team of the newspaper and their daily responsibilities include news selection, commissioning and editing, apart from planning and executing special projects. Apart from this, they write on national affairs at the intersection of caste and sexuality, with a focus on elections, politics and the lifeworlds of the caste marginalised. Formally trained in physics from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata and Bose Institute, Kolkata, they made a switch to studying journalism from the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai. Over the past decade at Hindustan Times, they have worked at the National Desk, Page 1 team, Integrated Copy Desk and Special Stories Team, before running the opinion page as views editor for two years, and then moving back as Senior Editor of News Operations. In the past 12 years, they have reported on numerous national and state elections, specialising on caste-informed coverage of major moments in India’s history, and focussing on leading investigations into government accountability and social inequities. Their narrative non-fiction work aims to put Dalit voices at the core of India’s LGBTQIA+ movements. Read Less

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