Migrant exodus rattles Vibrant Gujarat

Wednesday 10th October 2018 02:32 EDT
 
 

Triggered by the alleged rape of a 14 - month - old girl in Sabarkantha, north Gujarat, violence and hate crimes targeting non-Gujaratis have spread to central parts of Gujarat, as eight contractual workers were attacked at the recently-inaugurated 'Bal Amul' plant on Sunday night. Nine people have been arrested for attacking the migrants at the plant that was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 30.

As the situation continues to worsen, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar chief ministers have called up their Gujarati counterpart Vijay Rupain, to express concern over the violent attacks. UP CM Yogi Adityanath urged Rupani to take strict action against those involved in the attacks. Over 56 cases of attacks on migrants - mainly from UP and Bihar, have been registered in 10 days. As many as 431 arrests have been made across Gujarat in connection with the incidents. The incidents occurred primarily in areas like Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad and later spreading to Vadodara, Anand and Panchmahals in central Gujarat.

Over 100 migrants fled for life in Ahmedabad, after a godown near Kabir Temple in Vastral area was set on fire late on Sunday night. On their toes, police and other authorities have been on a run trying to curb the aggression that continues to spread. The cyber crime cell arrested eight persons for posting hate messages against migrants in the state. Police officials in capital Gandhinagar arrested Congress leader Mahot Thakor, a member of Gandhinagar district panchayat and Thakor Sena - an outfit floated by Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor.

While the recorded numbers of migrants fleeing is pegged at 100, industry estimates that some 12,000 migrant labourers hailing from Hindi-speaking states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh have fled to their home states in fear of violence. The scare had reached such an extend that industrial clusters in Morbi, Jamnagar, Surat, and Kutch, which employ large number of workers from outside the state, looks like a deserted place as most of the migrant workers have left for their home states. Industry experts said Gujarat has over 10 million industrial workers and 70 per cent of them are non-Gujaratis, mainly from the Hindi-speaking belt.

Ajit Shah, President, Sanand Industries Association (SIA), said, “More than 12,000 labourers employed in industries in the north Gujarat region, who hail from Hindi-speaking states have left for their home states.” Sanand's industrial region is among those worst hit. SIA members claim that around 4,000 migrant workers have fled Sanand over the past 3-4 days due to the atmosphere of fear created by rumours circulated on social media. Shah said, “Some 4,000 migrant workers have fled Sanand over the past 3-4 days, due to an atmosphere of fear created by rumours circulated on social media. Nearly 60 per cent workforce in the Sanand Industrial Estate (SIE) comprises migrant workers.”

Shah added, “Absence of labourers is impacting industrial activity, especially in small and medium-scale industries which do not have automation to a great extent and are therefore, dependent on labourers. The unrest is denting the industrial production by an estimated 25 per cent overall.”

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee has decided to stage a state-wide protest against the atrocities. The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by UPCC chief Raj Babbar in Lucknow, after which all district units of Congress were notified about the call for protest. “Till now more than 40,000 people have fled due to violence, another 200 have been jailed and cases have been registered against 400 people. News reports of attacks on people from UP and Bihar in Mehsana, Vadodra, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad and Surat are coming every day,” Babbar said.

BOX

Alpesh Thakor's attempt backfires

In a bid to firm up his position, Alpesh Thakor, the Congress MLA from Radhanpur, stoked the fire of parochialism when he exhorted his Thakor community to agitate for justice for the 14- month- old girl who was allegedly raped in Himmatnagar on September 28. The fire, however, has gone out of control, forcing Thakor to make appeals for peace even as a video of him making a provocative speech against migrants goes viral on social media. Congress leaders, while blaming the BJP for the law and order situation going out of control, asked why Thakor has not been arrested if he is responsible for the violence.


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