Migrant workers from Bihar, UP head home from Gujarat after backlash over toddler’s rape

A violent backlash against non-Gujaratis following the arrest of a Bihar native for allegedly raping a 14-month-old girl in Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district last week has sparked an exodus of migrant workers hailing from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Many UP and Bihar labourers on Thursday boarded home-bound trains after north Indians were targeted in several parts of the state following the arrest of the suspect.

They said there was an “atmosphere of fear and mistrust” across Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Sabarkantha and Aravalli districts of Gujarat following the violence allegedly sparked by the Kshatriya Thakor Sena (KTS) campaign against migrants.

“We do not want to risk our lives. We have been hearing stories about migrant labourers being attacked,” Ajay Sao, who was among those headed home, told HT over phone. Sao, a 23-year-old resident of Bhojpur, had been working in a restaurant at Mehsana for three years.

Gujarat’s Director general of police Shivanand Jha said such attacks had taken place in Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Patan and Ahmedabad districts in the last one week and 150 people had been arrested in connection with the incidents.

The attacks took place after hate messages against non-Gujaratis, particularly those from Bihar and UP, were circulated on social media, he told reporters in Ahmedabad on Friday.

On September 28, a 14-month-old girl was allegedly raped in a village of Sabarkantha district, around 100 km from Ahmedabad, the police had said.

The toddler, who is from the Thakor community, has been admitted to the civil hospital in Ahmedabad where her condition is stated to be stable. Accused Ravindra Kumar worked at a factory near Vadnagar town of Mehsana district.

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”.

According to a PTI report, a 200-strong mob, allegedly led by Thakor Sena members, stormed a factory near Vadnagar town of Mehsana district on October 2 and thrashed two employees. Following the incident, 20 people were arrested on charges of rioting, an official of Mehsana Police had said.

“Since the accused was from Bihar and the victim belonged to the Thakor community, some elements were spreading misleading messages on social media. On October 2, a mob stormed the factory and injured some employees,” Inspector general of police, Gandhinagar, Mayank Sinh Chavda told HT over phone on Friday.

He said at least 18 FIRs have been lodged in different areas following attacks on non-Gujaratis.

The home department has also instructed the police to increase vigil at factories, housing societies and keep a watch on social media.

(With PTI inputs)

First Published: Oct 06, 2018 11:19 IST