Worry for Tamil Nadu manufacturers: ‘Waiting to see how many migrant workers return after Holi’

Of the 10 lakh migrant workers in Tamil Nadu, about half are concentrated in northern Tamil Nadu cities of Thiruvallur, Chennai and Chengalpattu, while the remaining are primarily based in the manufacturing hubs of Tirupur, Coimbatore and Erode.

Trouble in the state started when two videos allegedly showing migrant workers being beaten up in Tamil Nadu went viral recently on social media and WhatsApp groups. The sense of panic and fear among the Hindi-speaking community prompted even Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar and his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren to take note of the developments. The videos have since then been dismissed by the state police as “false” and “mischievous”.

According to S Surulivel, president of the Railway Suppliers’ Association and owner of businesses in State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamilnadu Ltd (SIPCOT), nearly 2,000 workers have left the state over the last three days from the units he is familiar with. Over 20,000 north Indian workers are employed in more than 300 units at SIPCOT in Coimbatore alone.

Despite efforts by state agencies to quell the unrest, including Governor R N Ravi urging north Indian labourers in Tamil Nadu on Sunday not to panic or feel insecure as the people of Tamil Nadu are very nice and the state government is committed to provide them security, manufacturers and business owners rued that the damage has already been done.

A well-known construction engineer in Chennai said workers who had left for their homes a week ago to celebrate Holi and those who had left over the last three days were terrified because of reports of attacks and killings. “We found it difficult to dispel these rumours because the majority of the news articles in their phones were in Hindi. Many of them still want to leave but we are trying to reassure them by promising to provide them with vehicles so they don’t have to use public transport and also offering to provide them food at the site itself,” he said.

He added that many who have already left Tamil Nadu are refusing to return after Holi.

“Our labour contractors are calling them repeatedly to make sure they come back after Holi. There is no distinction on the ground, even if the rumours, which originated from north Indian politicians, targeted workers from Bihar. When it comes to labourers, they are all north Indian workers. Additionally, there are reports of attacks on Hindi-speaking people in some news articles and tweets. Employees from all Hindi-speaking states are experiencing panic. They keep sending us videos and news articles, but we are unable to address every rumour,” he said.

The rumours have stirred enough trouble that many workers are feeling pressured by their families to leave Tamil Nadu immediately. Even as labourers staying at various construction sites and the Guindy Industrial Estate in Chennai claimed their employers had assured their safety, they remain uneasy as numerous news articles and videos in Hindi about the alleged attacks in Tamil Nadu continue to flood their phones.

Amarinder Kumar, 26, a construction worker at an apartment site close to Velachery, “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.”

Sri Ram, 20, who works at a major construction site near Guindy, said many people from nearby units have already left for Bihar. “No one from my construction site left because lodging and food are provided at the site itself. Those who have to take a bus to get to work are anxious due to reports coming out of Bihar,” he said.

Sashikanth, 35, who works at a manufacturing facility in Guindy Industrial Estate, said not just Bihar residents but all north Indian workers and their families were feeling alarmed due to the political statements being made in their home states. “The police came here on Saturday and assured our safety. They bought us tea and biscuits. They said we could visit them whenever we wanted and gave us phone numbers to call if there were problems,” he said.

And although Tamil Nadu doesn’t offer any special perks, at least five migrant workers told The Indian Express that they had moved to the state due to higher pay and respect. “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,” said a former worker from Bihar who is a labour contractor across the city’s numerous construction sites.

As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen what would help restore confidence and prevent further unrest.