Feeling insecure, migrant labourers flee Ludhiana - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Following the failure of the state police to provide them with security after ethnic clashes, the skilled and unskilled migrant workers from other parts of India were seen leaving Ludhiana. Certain untoward incidents led to over hundreds of labourers blocking the highway and burning of vehicles last week. This outburst by the migrant workers, who caused by the police officials' refusal to register the complaint of a labourer who was robbed by a gang of some unknown mugs. Citing this incident, the migrant workers contended that they felt insecure. "There are so many incidents of violence taking place. There is no safety, no security. So what will the people do? They are all going back with their families. We don't know whether we will come back here or not. Earlier the situation was not like this, but over the past one year, such incidents have increased. There is no safety at all," said Satyendra Singh, a migrant labourer. The imposition of curfew following clashes between two religious groups further added onto the fear of these migrant labourers. "There is curfew here and because of lack of safety, all people are vacating and going back from here," said Sarjoo, another labourer. Expressing his deep concern at these trends, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar spoke to Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal asking him to abstain from taking any retaliatory action against outsiders. "I have spoken to the Punjab Chief Minister and requested him not to take any retaliatory action against the labourers," he added.