Three years ago, the former Chief Minister of Punjab and Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi called migrant workers coming from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as “Bhaiya” in a derogatory sense. Although Channi apologised due to backlash, this disdain against migrant workers is gaining momentum in Punjab. In August this year, several migrant workers were driven out of a village in Mohali by the locals. In some villages, boards with 11 ‘restrictions’ for migrant labourers have been put up.
According to an exclusive report by Aaj Tak, migrant labourers are not allowed to rent a house inside the Jandpur village under the Kharar sub-district of Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali), which has imposed eleven restrictions on migrant workers. The restrictions include a ban on movement after 9 PM, no smoking or chewing tobacco, and others, as OpIndia reported earlier. Multiple display boards were placed across the village explaining the restrictions.
Moreover, there are several restrictions regarding the clothes they wear. Local people argue that with the arrival of outsiders, violence, thefts and robberies, harassment of women has increased. However, the migrant labourers say that although they earn money here, they receive no respect. The situation of these migrant labourers is such that they don’t want to stay there anymore.
The report says that this trend of driving UP, Bihar migrant labourers out of the village began from Mundo Sangtian in August this year. While all the migrants were driven out of the village, some were also expelled from their jobs. Eventually, the matter reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court as one Vaibhav Vats filed a plea against the illegal expulsion of migrant workers by the locals.
As per the Aaj Tak report, the Jandpur village is filled with signboards advertising visa to various countries like Canara, USA and Poland. Apart from that, there were boards praising and thanking ‘Prophet’ Bajinder Singh from the Chuch of Glory and Wisdom. Banners claiming that if one takes his blessing, visas will be issued immediately were also found by the reporting team of Aaj Tak.
As per the report, there is a conversion lobby working in the area who helps youths migrating to Canada by becoming Christians. They get the youths to convert to Christianity, cut their hair to settle abroad.
Speaking to AajTak, the villagers claimed that migrant workers lived in squalor, and roamed around half-naked when we used to go to Gurudwara. They used to fight and the behaviour of the migrant women was also not good. The villagers said that due to this alleged inappropriate behaviour, they voted which included people from the Gurudwara Committee and decided to oust the migrants from the village.
Lamenting the mistreatment faced by migrant workers in Mohali, a migrant worker Mansukh said that the local people taunt them with “Bhaiya Bhaiya” remarks and that they mock them by saying “you people eat from our money”. The worker said that if migrants take money, in exchange, they do hardwork. Other than belonging to UP and Bihar, these migrant workers are also allegedly mistreated due to their dark complexion. “We look different from them, that’s the whole problem,” the migrant worker said.
When asked about why suddenly this became an issue when migrants have been working in Punjab for many years, a local explained that earlier, these migrant workers used to work in fields and stay on their motor vehicles, but since last three-four years, they have begun entering the villages. In addition, since locals have placed a restriction on their sons moving to Canada and other countries, they look for work here. However, since most of the jobs are taken up by the migrants, they face difficulty in finding work. A Panchayat member Charanjit Singh alleged that migrants have eloped with many local minor girls.
As reported earlier, police verification has been made mandatory for migrant workers. The residents who provide accommodation on rent to these migrant workers are now also required to provide them with dustbins. More than two migrant workers will not be allowed to stay in a single room and they cannot roam around in “half attire”. In case the migrant workers are found indulging in illegal activities, the house owners who rented them accommodation would be held responsible.
The list of restrictions came in response to the allegations levelled against the migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The allegations include spitting on roads outside the village Gurudwara, which is considered disrespectful to the Sikh religion. Locals accused migrant workers of roaming around half-naked, causing embarrassment to the female residents. Several migrant workers have decided to leave the village following the restrictions. Other workers might follow suit.
