
Er Prabhat Kishore
(prabhatkishore65@gmail.com)
The 'Migrant Workers' work away from their homes — especially in other States or even abroad — to earn their livelihoods. They include not only the labourers engaged in various sectors, but also the bureaucrats and many other officials. More often than not, these officials too suffer as much pain as the labourers — often compelled to render their skilled and unskilled services —without being allowed to even count their serving hours.
The term 'Migrant Worker' is not new in the global history and also in the multi-lingual lexicons. Well, recall the 'Kabuliwalas' from Kabul – residents of areas located thousands of miles away from India. They used to travel through the village streets to sell their dry fruits. These migrant people garnered much love and affection, says recorded documents of the Indian culture and traditions. The Indians have been celebrating the typical Indian principle of 'Atithi Devo Bhavah' (A rough transliteration of this compound Sankritized term would be: Guests are respected representations of the Almighty for us (Indians)!'
Interestingly enough since ages, this perennial process of migration has been continuing at various levels across India. People often migrate from one place to another in search of livelihood; and, this is a positive sign for fostering integrity among the diversity of cultures across our lovely country of India. The progress and prosperity of some States is a testimony to the diversified contributions of such migrant people. When the migrant workers returned to their native destinations during Covid-19, this cycle of progress got stalled in many States. Eventually, the organizers of such migrants had to request their client workers to return to their places of origins.
Similarly, the people of Bihar — irrespective of their castes, religions, faiths, cultures, languages and food habits among various other factors — have spread to different corners of the country and intermingled with the local people in the respective regions. Of course conversely, Bihar is also welcoming the migrant people from various other States.
During the winter season, Kashmiri people often travel to sell their shawls and sweaters. The Lhasa markets of Tibetan refugees are famous places for the woolen clothing in many towns. Once, Chinese dentists had a monopoly in this field of human treatment across the Indian towns.
Not only migrant workers or vendors, but Bihar also has several powerful politicians. Among the notable such personalities are George Fernandez, Madhu Limaye, M.J. Akbar, Syed Shahabuddin, I.K. Gujral, and Sharad Yadav. Numerous bureaucrats and officials have also served in various States, but the masses of those respective States have never treated them as migrants.
On the other hand, Bihari workers are often the soft targets whenever and wherever there is disturbance for local causes in any corner of the country. In this endless series, now the migrant labourers and street vendors, who are the poorest of the poor, are being massacred in Kashmir without any fault. Old parents, life-partners and even young children were eagerly waiting for their kin to return home with new clothes for the Dipawali and the Chhath Puja; but the separatist forces dashed their dreams in the blink of an eye; and the hapless family found the bodies of their kin wrapped in shrouds.
After the abrogation of Article 370, it was ardently hoped that the Central Government will crush the separatist forces. But the recent events indicate that the roots of these foreign elements are deeper in the region. The intelligence system has completely failed. Although some foreign militants have been gunned down; their whereabouts are yet to be traced out.
More responsible for the latest killings of the Hindus and the Sikhs are the pro-Pakistan "unemployed" politicians, who are frequently praising Pakistan and China while provoking the militants. Such gun-men are just the branches and leaves of the "Anti-Indian" trees; the roots are those politicians, who ruled this beautiful State for their own petty reasons. They never ever did anything for the State and the common masses. They were, of course, involved, in brain-washing the public.
The deceased migrant workers were not foreigners; but were breathing at their roots. All of them belonged to the 'Maharishi Kashyap gotra', whose name Kashmir owns. They were engaged in the developmental works of roads, bridges, tunnels, telephone towers and other infrastructures of the Himalayan State; and in lieu of their variegated services at the ground level, they were supposed to be paid wages for the livelihood of their families. Any kind of development in the region is nothing short of a thorn for the masters of such stone-pelters, communalists and the anti-peace forces.
The most ironic aspect is the continued "appeasement politics" of the political parties. For instance, there have been a series of political tourism of leaders during the aftermath of the brutal incident at Lakhimpur Khiri, But no one has a word of condolence to the next of kin of the unfortunate victims of the barbaric merchants of death of these innocent migrants. Is this not simply because that they do not belong to a particular community? They have not been gunned down by Hindu miscreants. Such selective attitude of the parties is supplying oxygen to the communal agenda of the militants.
Those who believe and talk about the so-called 'Two-Nation Theory', have already parted ways. Now not only the Biharis, but also each and every son of the soil has the Constitutional as well as the very vital 'Spiritual Right' to live, learn, work and earn in any part of 'Bharat Mata', and that too with respect and dignity. Though the migrants in Kashmir have shifted for a moment, yet they will definitely return to work at the same spot very soon.
If the Central Government wants the development of the natives across Jammu & Kashmir, then along with the gunning down of the terrorists and local criminals, the white-dressed provoking persons have to be penalized for their anti-national, anti-social and anti-people activities. In the name of democracy, pro-Pakistan leaders cannot be left free to spread their poisonous messages, resulting in the massacre of the innocent sons of the soil.