Ajit Karn
Trippur: Sunday’s Trippur District Collector, S Vineeth, stated that migrant workers are abandoning Tamil Nadu due to the Holi festival and rumours of attacks against migrant workers.
The police and administration of Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, met with business and industry association representatives and migrant labourers to discuss alleged attacks on migrants.
The district administration of Tiruppur sought out to 30,000 migrant or foreign labourers employed in the state.
Speaking to ANI, Tiruppur DC said, “Today, a team of Bihar government officials visited Tiruppur. They have consulted with all relevant parties, including association members, labour unions, and other unions.”
The Collector added that they have demonstrated how false information has spread through the media and what measures the Tiruppur administration has taken to ensure that the populace does not despair.
“It was widely reported that the majority of individuals are fleeing due to problems. I would like to point out that the majority of them are departing for Holi festivities “Vineeth added.
Superintendent of Police (SP) of Tiruppur, Shashank Sai, stated that the district and municipal police administrations have registered a FIR against media outlets and channels that are spreading false news.
“The district police administration and the municipal police administration have filed a First Information Report (FIR) against media outlets and channels that disseminate false news. Three FIRs have been filed at the district police’s cybercrime police station “said Shashank.
“Only investigation will disclose whether a larger context exists. It is too early for us to comment at this time. With awareness programmes, the district administration has reached out to the 30,000 migrant or guest labourers employed in Tiruppur “he added.
According to KM Subramanian, president of the Tiruppur Exporters’ Association, there are positive relations between local and migrant labourers.
“Today, we will convene with a high-level committee to discuss the issue of migrant workers. On social media, some individuals are spreading false information. The relationship between local and migrant labourers is positive “said Subramanian.
Balamurugan, IAS, Secretary, Rural Development Department, Bihar, stated at a press conference in Tiruppur following the meeting that the governments of Tamil Nadu and Bihar are making every effort to ensure the protection of migrant labourers.
“We are in contact with both migrant labourers and local labour contractors. You should not pay attention to rumours and hoaxes. TN & Bihar governments making all efforts for the safety of migrant workers here,” said Balamurugan.
A meeting was also conducted by the Bihar Association in Tamil Nadu with migrant labourers employed in Chennai, amidst rumours of attacks.
“Here, I am living securely. Fake videos are proliferating on social media. My family back home has been concerned about my safety ever since the news started circulating but I have reassured them about my safety,” said Santosh Kumar, a migrant worker from Bihar in Chennai.
A day after Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party chief K Annamalai blamed the governing DMK party for the ongoing unrest over alleged assaults on migrant workers in the state, the police have booked him on charges of inciting violence and promoting hostility between groups.
The Cyber Crime Division has charged the state head of the BJP with, among other offences, inciting violence and promoting hostility between groups.
An incident report has reportedly been filed against the Twitter account proprietor for the BJP Bihar.
Annamalai issued a statement on the issue of migrant workers yesterday, stating that they are safe in Tamil Nadu, but that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its alliance party leaders are responsible for the hatred against them.
He also opposed the spread of false news on the attack on the people from Bihar in the state, saying that Tamils don’t support “separatism” and “vile hatred” against north Indians.
In addition to Annamalai, the Tamil Nadu police have also arrested two journalists and the spokesperson for the BJP, Prashant Umrao.
Prashant Umrao, an Editor with Dainik Bhaskar, a Patna-based journalist, owner of ‘Tanvir Post’ Twitter handle Mohammad Tanvir, and Shubam Shukla were booked at different police stations on the charges of spreading “false” news regarding attacks on migrant labourers in Tamil Nadu.
Multiple videos purportedly depicting assaults on migrant workers circulated on social media, causing widespread terror among Tamil Nadu’s migrant workers.
The panic was triggered after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday raised concerns and took note of the purported videos of “attacks”.
The panic affected the industries in Tamil Nadu, which rely on migrant workers, badly as many workers stayed off work.
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Taking cognizance of the panic, Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Police Sylendra Babu released a statement, saying that the video doing rounds of social media was “false” and “mischievous”.
“Somebody in Bihar posted false and mischievous videos saying that migrant workers were attacked in Tamil Nadu. Two videos were posted. Both are false as these incidents happened at an earlier date in Tiruppur and Coimbatore. One was a clash between two groups of migrant workers from Bihar while another was from a clash between two local residents in Coimbatore,” the top cop said.
The DGP also said that the persons behind this rumour-driven panic will not be spared.
