Migrant Crisis Deepens in Panjab

As Panjab enters its peak paddy procurement and vegetable sowing season after the devastating floods, the increasing hostility towards migrant workers primarily from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, has triggered an alarm among the farmers and industrialists. The situation escalated after the alleged kidnapping, sodomy, and murder of a five-year-old boy by a migrant worker in Hoshiarpur. As the calls for expulsion of migrants grow louder, concern is mounting among the labor, the industry, and the agrarian sector. President of the Uttar Pradesh Kalyan Parishad (welfare forum) Rambhawan Goswami said there was a palpable fear among the migrant workers. 'Some of them, especially those who live in rented accommodations, returned fearing backlash. A few are preparing to leave and others are living in fear.' Local residents allege appropriation of resources and livelihoods by migrants. The protests saw the emergence of slogans such as Parvasi Bhajao, Panjab Bachao (send back the migrants, save Panjab). A farmer leader Rattan Singh Randhawa said migrant laborers are the backbone of Panjab's agriculture and industrial sectors. Over 1.3M migrants work in Panjab's grain markets.' Badish Jindal, Ludhiana-based industrialist and president of the World Micro, Small Medium Enterprise Forum, said that over 1.8M migrant workers form the '80% of unskilled laborers in Panjab’s industries are migrants.' Jindal cautioned that if migrant workers are forced out of the state, industries and businesses will come to a standstill, and Panjab’s relations with other states and even exports from ports in other states could be adversely affected. He said, 'This is a conspiracy to destroy Panjab.' Industry leaders have urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to intervene amid rising tensions between local residents and migrant workers. On 16 Sep, Mann said there cannot be any discrimination against migrants within India as Panjabis too run their businesses in other states. He said, ‘Panjabis have businesses in Raipur and most transporters in Kolkata are from Panjab. Tomorrow those places can send the Panjabis out.' Panjab urgently needs to dialogue the issue lest it gets out of hand, bring in policies on migration, and not give migrants voting rights (earlier coverage).