AHMEDABAD: All India Mili Council, Gujarat expressed concern over the attack on north Indian labourers in several areas of Gujarat. It said the rise of the parochial sentiments following a crime by a labourer from Bihar has caused a massive exodus from the state which is not in the interest of Gujarat.
Its president Mufti Rizwan Tarapuri said here on Tuesday that it is reminiscent of attacks on north Indians in Maharashtra by Shiv Sena in 1960s, in Assam in 1980s and in Karnataka in 2012. He said the hate campaign by a group of Gujarat against north Indians leading to violence is a serious development and the state government cannot escape the responsibility for the crisis.
The entire north Indian community cannot be punished for the crime of one person, which simply reflected the political motives. He said the rising hatred against the migrant labourers on the plea of loss of jobs for the local youth seems to be aimed at encouraging parochialism by politicians. This also contradicts oneness of India, he said and added that the stoic silence of the top BJP leadership is intriguing.
Its general secretary Abdul Hafiz Lakhani said the recent announcement of Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani to guarantee 80% industrial jobs to domiciled residents could also force other states to go for seminal measures thereby affecting people from Gujarat. He said in Pan India context with BJP’s claim of “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas” such narrow approach will negate the overall development of the country. He further said the BJP will pay a political price for what is happening in its so-called “model state” in north Indian states especially in UP and Bihar.
He said that attacks have also diminished the reputation of enterprising Gujarati community known for globalisation and finding opportunities in distant. attacks indicated that unemployment in Gujarat is rising and is becoming a political flashpoint. he said the Gujarat government should prosecute all those responsible for attacks on poor migrant workers.