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2018 attacks on Hindi-speaking migrants in Gujarat
In October 2018, there were incidents of attacks on Hindi-speaking migrants; from the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh; in Gujarat after the alleged rape of a 14-month-old in a village near Himatnagar in north Gujarat. BackgroundThe 14-months old girl from a Thakor community was allegedly raped by a Muslim migrant labourer from Bihar on 28 September 2018.[1][2] He worked at the ceramic factory at Dhundhar village near Himatnagar, Sabarkantha district in north Gujarat where the incident took place.[1][3] He was arrested by the police next day. It angered the Thakor community which held protests across Gujarat.[1][3] Attacks and exodusOn 2 October, a mob, allegedly led by Kshatriya Thakor Sena members, attacked on the migrant workers in a factory near Vadnagar in Mehsana district.[4] The police arrested twenty people for rioting.[5] The next day, Alpesh Thakor, a leader of Koli[6] Thakor Sena and Indian National Congress MLAannounced fast from 8 October to seek justice of the rape survivor.[7][5] Alpesh had reportedly demanded preference to local people in jobs in industries in the state while addressing the protest.[8][5] He also accused the government of filing false cases against the members of his community and demanded their release.[5][9] On 3 October, an attack was reported in Chandlodiya, Ahmedabad.[1] There were further incidents of attacks by the Thakor community and others on the migrant labourers and the factories employing them. By 7 October, six districts were affected including Sabarkantha, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Patan, Banaskantha, Aravalli and Ahmedabad district, with first two being worst affected.[1][3] The attacks were chiefly in industrial estates and industrial belts.[10] On 8 October, there were attacks in villages near Vadodara also.[11] No incidents of attack were reported after 9 October.[12] The attacks allegedly triggered exodus of the more than thousand labourers from Gujarat to their native states.[1][2][13] The Director General of Police denied the exodus and attributed the leaving migrants to the upcoming festive season.[13][14] Uttar Bharatiya Vikas Parishad, an outfit supporting north Indian migrants, claimed that around 20,000 people had left Gujarat by 8 October.[15] Government actionBy 8 October, total 55 FIRs were lodged and 431 people were arrested.[16] Ten people were arrested for spreading rumours and hatred on social media.[17][12] The Government of Gujarat provided security to more than hundred factories.[1] Apart from State Police, seventeen companies of State Reserve Police (SRP) were deployed in the affected districts.[9] The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) urged the government to restore the peace as the industries were affected.[15] Political reactionsThe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC), two major political parties in Gujarat assembly, appealed for peace and harmony.[2] The opposition INC state chief Amit Chavda reasoned the rising unemployment in youth behind the anger and criticised the attackers.[2] INC President Rahul Gandhi called the attacks "completely wrong" and attributed it to unemployment and shutdown of the factories.[18][19] BJP blamed Alpesh Thakor and his outfit for the violence.[20] Alpesh Thakor denied his involvement and appealed for peace to his community. He kept "goodwill" fast in Ahmedabad for a day on 11 October.[4][20] The Government of Gujarat appealed to the migrants to return.[16][21]
In July 2019, after Lok Sabha Elections, Alpesh Thakor joined BJP after quitting INC.[23] Yogi Adityanath and Nitish Kumar, the chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar respectively, spoke with Vijay Rupani, Gujarat Chief Minister for their concerns.[16] Tejashwi Yadav, a leader of Rashtriya Janata Dal, criticised the Central Government led by BJP leader Narendra Modi who belongs to Gujarat, alleging that BJP/RSS had "turned Gujrat into a nursery of hatred & violence against poor, dalits & minorities."[1] See alsoReferences
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