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Sabarkantha nears normalcy after one year

While workers have returned, scars have remained says representatives of migrants from north India

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Nearly 50,000 North Indian migrants made desperate efforts to flee the state after locals attacked them over alleged rape of one-and-a-half-year-old girl
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One year ago, migrant workers – especially from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, were making desperate efforts to catch trains, buses, whichever vehicle they got to go to their natives.

They feared for their lives as locals from Thakor community attacked the migrant workers over alleged rape of one and a half year old girl by a migrant worker in Sabarkantha district.

While workers have returned, scars have remained said representatives of migrants from north India.

Industry representatives admit that there is no shortage of workers, but the demand itself is low due to demand slowdown in the country.

"Migrants workers have no choice, but to come back. UP and Bihar are predominantly agricultural economies. Forced by poverty, workers have to migrate," said Shyamsingh Thakur, president of Uttar Bharatiya Vikas Parishad, a body that works for the welfare of north Indians who have migrated to Gujarat.

However, the scar of attack has stayed. "Earlier, if a few workers are returning to Gujarat after going to their migrants, they would also bring along with them few of their relatives or neighbours, who would not think twice about coming to Gujarat. Now, people think whether to come or not," added Thakur.

However, one thing that has struck him is Alpesh Thakor, who had ordered the attacks on migrant workers is ironically now a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Radhanpur constituency.

"North Indians have a concern that what will happen if Thakor wins and becomes a minister. There is a strong sense of dissatisfaction against the BJP now," said Thakur. "It can have impact on result of Amraiwadi assembly constituency, where there are close to 70,000 north Indian voters and the victory margin is about 25,000-30,000," said Thakur.

"There is no environment of fear now. There is no case of workers not returning out of fear. There is no shortage of workers in factories. So production is not suffering because of lack of workers. Things are normal," said Jaimin Vasa, who was then president of Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry and busy fighting to ensure normalcy. Shailesh Patwari, former president of GCCI was also trying to restore confidence among the worker community. "We must recognize that it is because of hard work of these workers factories are producing. Local youth cannot work so hard. However, the demand for workers has also decreased because of the slowdown," said Patwari.

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