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After exodus, migrant workers make a slow return to Gujarat

Chhath Puja has just finished. Some of them have already arrived. We are in contact with them and indications are that most of the workers who had fled will return, says Shyamsingh Thakur

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After the rape of the 3-year-old, migrants in Gujarat were forced to leave en-masse following violence
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“I was worried about my pregnant wife after hearing that migrant workers were coming under attack here. We didn’t want to take any chance and took a flight to Varanasi, from where we proceeded to Patna,” recalled Ajitkumar Singh, a welder with Shri Hansraj Alloys at Dholka, back at his work site. 

Singh, hailing from Shrirampur village in Patna, was among thousands of workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, who fled from Gujarat to their native places, in wake of isolated attacks and threats by Thakor Sena about a month ago, following a rape of a 14-month old girl allegedly by a migrant worker from Bihar. 

“Our employers assured us about our safety here and so I have returned,” said Singh, who had returned a fortnight after he left the place.

Motikumar Singh, his co-worker, displayed much more courage to return within a week. “I too had taken a flight to Varanasi and then travelled to Patna. However, I returned within a week. This generated confidence among other workers and their families, who had fled along with us,” said Motikumar Singh. 

Shyamsingh Thakur, president of Uttar Bharatiya Vikas Parishad, an organisation working for migrants from north India, said of close to 70,000 workers estimated to have fled Gujarat about a month ago, close to 8,000 have returned and signs are that most of them are willing to return. “Chhath Puja has just finished. Some of them have already arrived. We are in contact with them and indications are that most of the workers who had fled will return. Things would be clearer in about a fortnight,” said Thakur.

Sanjay Gupta, a local labour contractor said workers have started returning and more are expected soon.

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