Gujarat sees mass exodus of migrant workers as mobs attack 'north Indians' following arrest of Bihar man for raping toddler

A violent backlash in Gujarat against workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar following the arrest of a Bihar man, for allegedly raping a 14-month-old girl in the Sabarkantha district last week, has sparked an exodus of ‘migrant’ labourers in the state. According to several media reports, many workers belonging to northern Indian states boarded home-bound trains after some of them were targeted following the arrest of the suspect. [caption id=“attachment_4109251” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] Many people reported an “atmosphere of fear and mistrust” across Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Sabarkantha and Aravalli districts of Gujarat following the violence which has allegedly been sparked by the Kshatriya Thakor Sena (KTS), a Hindustan Times report said. Director General of Police Shivanand Jha told PTI that attacks have taken place in Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha, Patan and Ahmedabad districts in the last one week and 170 people have been arrested in connection with the incidents. The attacks took place after hate messages against non-Gujaratis, particularly those from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, were circulated on social media, he said. Addressing reporters, Jha said that around 18 FIRs were lodged in different districts of Gujarat so far following the attacks on non-Gujaratis. “We have also arrested 170 persons. We will not allow such activities at any cost. We have instructed the local police to increase vigil at factories and (housing) societies having a good number of non-Gujaratis. We are also keeping a watch on social media messages,” he said. After it came to light that the rape accused hailed from Bihar, the Kshatriya Thakor Sena said that workers from other states should not be given jobs in Gujarat, PTI reported. On 3 October, a mob allegedly comprising members of the Thakor community engaged in vandalism in Chandlodia area of Ahmedabad, demanding people from north India to leave the city, said the police. Hindi-speaking migrants who have been living in Gujarat for years are fleeing the state fearing violence. In some cases, landlords have asked them to leave as well, The Indian Express reported. “Some 20 buses, each packed with more than 80 passengers, left for Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar on Saturday,” the report said.   Meanwhile, Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor, who heads the Kshatriya Thakor Sena, appealed to his community and members of his outfit, who were allegedly involved in the attacks, to maintain peace, saying non-Gujaratis are also our “brothers”. On 28 September, a 14-month-old girl was allegedly raped in a village near Himmatnagar town of Sabarkantha district, around 100 kilometres from Ahmedabad, the police had said. The victim belonged to the Thakor community. One Ravindra Sahu, a labourer hailing from Bihar and working in a local ceramic factory, was arrested the same day for the toddler’s rape, the police had said. Thakor claimed he never asked the Kshatriya Thakor Sena to engage in violence or attack non-Gujaratis.