After 5-yr-old boy’s murder in Hoshiarpur, panchayats pass resolutions asking ‘undocumented’ migrants to leave

Several migrants have already begun leaving their jobs and returning home, triggering concern among farmers and traders who depend on them for daily operations

The tirade against the migrants from other states triggered by the alleged kidnapping, sodomy, and murder of a five-year-old boy in the city escalated, with several panchayats and certain self-styled vigilantes in the city seeking their ouster from the state.

Protests have been organised after a kid was sodomised and killed allegedly by a migrant worker in Hoshiarpur.

On September 9, a migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh (UP), who worked at the local vegetable market, was arrested for the murder.

Since then, as many as 25 panchayats in Hoshiarpur, including Chabbewal, Bajwara, Badla, Purhiran, Shergarh, Nasrala, and several in adjoining districts, have passed resolutions against undocumented migrants, with vigilantes threatening them with dire consequences.

According to reports, Amritpal Singh Mehron, a prime accused in the murder of digital content creator Kanchan Kumari alias Kamal Kaur Bhabi, has also contacted the victim’s father.

In a video post uploaded on a Facebook account, Mehron, who fled the country after murder, is heard offering the victim’s father help in case he wanted an ‘out of court’ justice. HT couldn’t independently verify the veracity of the video.

Several migrants have already started leaving work and are heading home, which in turn has caused panic among the farmers and traders who rely heavily on them for their day-to-day work.

The main demand of the panchayats is the matter of unchecked migration, and calls for the systematic background verification of labourers from other states in Punjab.

“The clamour for ousting the migrants has created an uneasy atmosphere in the city. At many places, migrants are being asked to vacate the houses and other shelters. Panic-stricken migrants are shifting back to their home towns”, said Ganga Prasad, a communist leader, adding that his party would urge the district administration to stop ‘unjust’ action targeting a community.

“A culprit must be brought to book, but innocents should not be terrorised,” he added.

Traders in the grain and vegetable market in Purhiran said that their businesses had been severely impacted, as the majority of work was being done by migrants.

“There has been a major drop in the labour force after the incident. Fearing backlash, migrant workers are not turning up in the mandi, which has hit our sale and purchase business. There is no labour to unload trucks and supply the vegetables to retailers in rural areas, as in many villages, ‘migrants’ entry has been banned”, said a trader on condition of anonymity.

“I am not finding adequate labour for my vegetable fields,” a farmer said, who didn’t wish to be named.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Doaba) leader Manjit Singh Rai, who belongs to Purhiran, the area where the 5-year-old’s body was dumped after murder, said, “We are collecting Aadhar cards of all the migrants living in our area and handing them to the police authorities for verification. Undocumented migrants must be sent back to their respective states.”

So far, about 30 panchayats have resolved not to issue residence certificates to the migrants nor allow any undocumented person to stay in the village.

Aware of the possible repercussions, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday said that there could not be any discrimination against migrants within the country, as Punjabis too run their businesses in other states and countries.

Congress’ MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, however, said that if a law barring outsiders from becoming voters, land owners, and securing government jobs was not passed immediately, Punjab would face irreparable damage to its socio-cultural fabric.

SAD leader Gurpartap Singh Wadala said that it was time to correct past mistakes.

“There is no denying the fact that governments should have taken appropriate steps, but at least now the establishment should wake up and restrict the entry of illegal migrants and check anti-social elements.” he added.

Professor Manjit Singh, a researcher and political commentator, said that people had the right to migrate and work anywhere.

“It is wrong to brand an entire community criminal if one of their members commits a crime. Their move can lead to a backlash elsewhere. The panchayats should also understand this and maintain communal harmony”, he said. Meanwhile, the administration said it is keeping a close watch on the situation.

Senior superintendent of police Sandeep Kumar Malik said that law and order would be maintained at every cost. “We have not received any complaint of violence or high-handedness. If any such thing happens, we will deal with it as per law”, he said.

He revealed that sub-divisional magistrates and deputy superintendents of police were holding meetings in sub-divisions and sensitising people.

Curb protests against migrants: Industry body to CM

Chandigarh The World MSME Forum on Tuesday wrote to chief minister Bhagwant Mann, urging him to take immediate steps to strictly curb protests against migrant labourers in Punjab. It said such protests were a serious threat to the state’s economy.

Forum president Badish Jindal alleged that the current protests were part of a conspiracy to destabilise Punjab. “If these protests force migrant workers to leave Punjab, then it is certain that industries will also migrate from here,” he said. Jindal wrote that more than 18 lakh migrant labourers were employed across industries, farms, shops and households in Punjab. “Today, 80% of the unskilled labourers in industries of Punjab are migrants, including 8 lakh employed in Ludhiana alone. Migrant labourers also play a big role in agriculture, with most sowing and harvesting work done by them,” he said, stressing their contribution to the state’s economy. HTC