Panic-stricken Bihari workers return home from Tamil Nadu amidst claims of xenophobic murders, TN Police denies.
There have been reports in the media of hate crimes targeting Hindi-speaking migrant laborers, especially from Bihar, working in Tamil Nadu, which have claimed over a dozen lives. Here’s what we know so far…
Uproar in Bihar assembly over ‘attack on migrants’ in Tamil Nadu.
The opposition BJP created a ruckus in the Bihar assembly before staging a walkout, demanding that a team of members of the House is sent to Tamil Nadu to verify reports of attacks on Bihari migrants.
However, DGP has said that Bihari workers were not attacked in Tamil Nadu after Nitish Kumar raises concern.
“The videos that are being circulated are four months old and show clashes between migrant workers belonging to Bihar and Jharkhand. Another video is of a murder that took place in Coimbatore outside a court complex last month. No attacks on migrant workers have taken place in Tamil Nadu,” said DGP.
Allegations of Bihari migrant laborers:
When told that the Tamil Nadu DGP has called reports on the attack on Bihar migrant workers in Tamil Nadu fake, Arman, a laborer from the Jamui district who was returning home with 20 other laborers, told Bhaskar, “if the news is false, then why are so many dead bodies returning to Bihar from TN.”
What the migrant workers say:-
As per ABP, they spoke to Kanchan Ravidas, a migrant worker who returned from Tamil Nadu 5 days back. Kanchan said that the contractors told all Hindi speakers to flee, and refused to give them work. He said that before firing them from work management should at least give notice to workers if companies don’t want them to work anymore. Some goons there are stabbing and assaulting people on the roads without remorse – it looks like they are assaulting animals, not humans.
He also said that over 10 ten people have been sent to the corner of death. Police and administration are not helping and even not registering a single FIR from them. Even the media does nothing after visiting the site of incidents. He added that the lady workers have thus far not been attacked and they are slightly safer than us.
As per Dainik Bhaskar
If we move ahead and talk about Dainik Bhaskar coverage, several laborers from the Jamui district have corroborated these attacks in which they say 15 deaths have occurred. As a result, panic has gripped the Hindi-speaking migrant worker population in TN and they are returning home in droves.
After Kanchan’s statement now, Arman a laborer from Jamui district returning along with 20 other workers, spoke to Dainik Bhaskar from aboard a train (he is currently in transit). When told that the Tamil Nadu DGP has denied these reports, he said that if nothing has happened then why are dead bodies returning to Bihar (as per him, bodies have returned to Jamui, Nawada, and Lakhisarai districts), and how are these attacks happening? He claimed that even on the train, the migrant workers are being forced to get up from their general bogey berths.
A friend of his was attacked yesterday and 4 fingers were chopped off in front of him because he was Hindi-speaking, Arman alleged. He claimed that 12 laborers were hanged to death in one room, and a total of 15 deaths have occurred thus far.
Another laborer Shravan Kumar, who returned 2 days, said that the situation is very bad in TN and Biharis are being stabbed. “Locals want us to return to Bihar, accusing us of taking their employment…they are stabbing us wherever they see us, and our employers and local administration are of no help. We were very scared”, he adds.
Rohit Kumar Case
Rohit Kumar, who returned today from Tiruppur, said, “The situation of Hindi speakers in Tamil Nadu is very bad. They want to drive Hindi speakers out. 14 people have been killed”. Pramod Kumar from Jamui said, “Locals claim they don’t have work so they are angry and driving us out. Hindi speakers are being assaulted.”
A laborer Sonu told Bhaskar that the attacks are occurring in Tiruppur and Shivkot (SIPCOT?) industrial areas, where migrants are scared to even step outside their homes but police and administration are not happening.
The Dainik Bhaskar report also adds that both Tamil Nadu and Bihar Police have denied accepting all videos circulating on this issue as a source of their protection. Tamil Nadu DGP said that everything is normal in the state, but the fleeing laborers disagree.
As per one laborer, the entire matter started when local workers asked the migrants to work for an increased daily wage of Rs. 1000-1200, whereas the migrants had already committed to Rs 800 per day to their companies and some had taken advance as well.
What has added fuel to fire in Bihar is the fact that deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav had flown down to celebrate TN CM Stalin’s birthday on Wednesday. Yadav sharing the stage and celebrating with Stalin has not gone down well with the people of Bihar, who are hearing such horror stories from workers fleeing back home.
Conclusion
It requires a serious investigation to probe into this exodus. While it is likely that allegations of over a dozen murders are exaggerated, there is a concerted hate campaign against Hindi speakers in Tamil Nadu, which is causing these poor laborers to flee.
