‘Attack’ on Bihar migrants: Apprehensions over exodus of north Indian workers from Tamil Nadu

Manufacturers and industry leaders in Tamil Nadu are apprehensive there might be a large-scale exodus of north Indian labourers after purported videos of attacks on Bihar migrant workers in the southern state went viral, a report in The Indian Express said.

In an obvious bid to allay fears, Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin had stated that the people of Tamil Nadu would protect Bihar migrants, but such an assurance may not have had the desired result.

Also Read: TN CM Stalin assures Bihar migrant workers

“The entire industrial and manufacturing sector in Tamil Nadu will come to a halt if these rumours (of attacks on north Indian workers) continue to escalate. Without the workforce from north India, we cannot operate in Tamil Nadu. We are waiting to see how many of these workers return after Holi,” Jaya Vijayan, secretary of the Chennai District Small Scale Industries Association, was quoted as saying.

There are approximately 10 lakh workers in Tamil Nadu. Of these, more than 50 per cent work in Thiruvallur, Chennai and Chengalpattu. The others are in Tirupur, Coimbatore and Erode.

Alarmed at the alleged attacks, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar had even sent a four-member team to Tamil Nadu. The team held an in-depth investigation and expressed its satisfaction over measures taken to protect the migrant workers by the state government.

Also Read: Bihar team satisfied with Tamil Nadu govt's safety measures for migrant workers in Tirupur

But the ground reality is different.

IE further quoted S Surulivel, president of the Railway Suppliers’ Association and owner of businesses in State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd (SIPCOT) saying that as many as 2,000 workers have left for their home states in the last three days alone. SIPCOT alone employs more than 20,000 north Indian workers in its 300 units.

There is an uneasy atmosphere of intimidation in the state. The families of many north Indian workers are reportedly asking them to return home for fear of attack. Though efforts are being made to win their confidence, the various articles and circulating videos of alleged attacks are not making things any easier.

“We feel helpless when our mothers and wives back home feel afraid because of reports of attacks. We know now that everything is fine. Some security guards and a labour contractor met us at the site twice. They also showed us videos to prove that every Hindi news report on our phones was false but we won’t know till after Holi how many workers will come back to work here,” Amarinder Kumar, 26, a construction worker at an apartment told IE.

Tamil Nadu happens to be one of the most sought-after states for migrant workers as it offers better pay prospects and most importantly, dignity of labour, the report said.

“In Chennai, we are paid Rs 400 to Rs 600 for a day’s work, compared to Rs 75 to Rs 100 in Bihar. We are also treated with some respect by the employers here. They are not cruel or intimidating like our employers back home,” a construction worker told IE.