Guj rights panel seeks report on migrants leaving

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat State Human Right Commission has taken cognisance of the attacks on migrant labourers and has sought a report from the state government on their reported exodus.

Thousands of labourers from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar reportedly fled after attacks following the rape of a toddler in Sabarkantha district allegedly by a migrant labourer.

“We have sought a report from the state government, director general of police and commissioner of police, Ahmedabad,’’said chairperson Abhilasha Kumari. She added that the commission has asked them to submit a report within 20 days.

Meanwhile, various social organisations, industrial estate associations and the administration have joined hands to conduct confidence building measures in the affected areas of Ahmedabad, Mehsana and Sabarkantha.

At Khokhra in Ahmedabad, local residents have extended special invitation to around 250 migrant families for a garba dance event on the first day of Navratri on Wednesday.

Uttar Bhartiya Vikas Parishad, a social organisation of migrants from north India, has organised a dialogue in Ahmedabad on Wednesday on the theme ‘Hamara Gujarat, surakshit Gujarat’ (Our Gujarat, safe Gujarat). Industrialists, local residents and migrants have been invited to share their views.

As part of the outreach, authorities of Ahmedabad and Vadodara, including collectors and superintendents of police, visited railway stations to persuade migrant from leaving. “No body told us that they were going out of fear. Most of them have tickets booked a month back,” said Ahmedabad collector Vikrant Pande. PATNA: The mother of the labourer who allegedly raped a 14-month-old toddler in Gujarat said on Wednesday that her son should not be spared if he was guilty but urged the people of the western state to not attack other migrants.

“Hang him if he is found guilty for the crime but do not harass and drive out other people from Bihar because of my son’s sin,”said the accused’s mother.

The accused’s mother said their entire family was in a state of shock sinc they got to know about her son’s alleged involvement in the minor’s rape.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Wednesday hit out at the Gujarat government, alleging that it was allowing the situation to foment instead of containing it.

“This violence has led to an exodus of thousands of workers and their families fearing for their lives. The BJP government in Gujarat, instead of containing this violence, is allowing these tensions to foment”, stated the central committee in its statement. “What is happening in Gujarat is serious. Fanning hate, violence and discord is no solution for unemployment and people’s economic woes”, tweeted CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.