Intellectuals condemn vilification of migrant workers in Punjab

Bathinda: More than 500 intellectuals, writers, artists, students, and social activists, along with various farmer organisations, on Thursday came together to urge unity against incidents of violence and hatred targeting migrant workers.The statement responds to the recent tragedy in Hoshiarpur, where a five-year-old child was brutally murdered after being subjected to abuse. "This heinous crime was committed by a diseased mind, and the law must take its course swiftly to punish the guilty," the signatories declared. They further emphasised that crime has no religion, caste, colour, or region, and equating an act of individual depravity with an entire community is both unjust and dangerous.Expressing deep concern over the aftermath of the incident, the citizens' appeal strongly condemned the targeting of migrant workers in Punjab by certain local groups and panchayats. They noted that such vilification not only scapegoats vulnerable communities, but also dangerously fractures the state's social fabric, while serving narrow political interests in the context of the upcoming Bihar elections. The statement reminded Punjabis of the historic role migrant workers have played in building Punjab's prosperity — from the fields of the Green Revolution to industrial hubs.

Their presence, the appeal noted, has been immortalised in Punjabi culture and literature, including the poetry of Surjit Patar. "They are not outsiders; they are part of us," it asserted.

Invoking Punjab's legacy of pluralism, compassion, and tolerance as taught by the Sikh Gurus, the signatories warned that demonising migrant workers is both an economic folly and a betrayal of Punjab's spiritual heritage. They pointed out that migration is born of necessity, not choice, and that migrant labour exists in Punjab because the state's economy depends on it.Drawing parallels, the statement asked: "If the crime of one individual condemns an entire community, should Punjabis living abroad in Canada, America, Europe, and other Indian states also be punished for the crime of one among them? Such thinking is not only unjust, it is self-destructive." They asserted that the guilty must be punished, but hatred and violence against an entire community must end. "We stand with justice.

We stand with humanity. We stand against hate."Some of the signatories include Prof Jagmohan Singh, president, Association for Democratic Rights; Swarajbir Singh, former editor; Harish Puri, political scientist; Such Singh Gill, economist; Ranjit Singh Ghuman, economist; Navsharan Kaur, scholar and social activist; and Sukhdev Singh Sirsa, former professor, Panjab University.Farmer organisations BKU Ekta Ugrahan, BKU Rajewal, Kirti Kisan Union, and BKU Ekta Dakaunda also condemned the move against migrant workers. MSID: 123975526 413 |