The Outsiders

With reference to the editorial ‘The Outsiders’ (October 15), Gujarat is a prosperous state and people from all over the country got to cities like Surat, Baroda and Ahmedabad in search of employment. These migrants are from poor strata of society whose only aim is to earn livelihood. Hence if we drive all of them away for the mistakes committed by some of their fellow migrants, their source of livelihood will be snatched.

Moreover the attacks on these people are politically motivated. It is a shame our politicians play with the livelihoods of these poor people to settle their political scores. The Gujarat government should immediately ensure that these people are given protection and their livelihood is ensured. All the political parties should note, that no Indian is an outsider in any part of India.

Thane

A minor girl’s rape allegedly by a migrant worker in Gujarat led to the exodus of migrant workers from UP, Bihar and MP. It is an alarming situation because as many as 50,000 migrant workers have already left the state fearing a backlash. The State government needs to act fast. Workers from UP and Bihar contribute significantly to the State’s economy.

The Gujarat administration needs to sit and discuss with all stakeholders, including industrialists, local representatives, workers and local police. The political parties should avoid making it a political issue for their petty political gains. A mature and farsighted approach will go a long way in improving the situation at the ground level.

Noida

The hounding out in Gujarat and even elsewhere of citizens belonging to other States is ominous. If the EU has a problem with migration within the Euro bloc, it is understandable as it is but an economic conglomerate of many nations that merely share a common currency; they are independent nations each owing allegiance to its flag and land.

We in contrast sequestered a multitude of small fiefdoms and princely states to form one Nation with fervour only seven decades ago. It is a pity that we seem keen to upend the concept of one flag-one land, even as we wax eloquent on the spirit of nationalism. It is a travesty that the motherland of an Indian citizen is to be circumscribed only by boundaries of his native state and any territory beyond is his/her “step- motherland”. The virus of opportunistic politics would ensure the speedy extinction of tall statesmen.

Navi Mumbai

Instead of focussing on the personalities involved, more attention must be given to devise ways to end the malaise of sexual harassment at workplaces. Patriarchy, male sexual entitlement and the ‘boss culture’ embedded in the hierarchically-organized power-structure where men are placed as superiors and supervisors explain the occurrence of sexual harassment at workplaces.

Sexual harassment is not confined to workplaces like a film-set or an editor’s newsroom alone; it is prevalent in other workplaces like, say, government offices, academic institutions, companies, judicial offices and police stations.

Men must know what is acceptable and what is unacceptable in their relations with members of the opposite sex and behave properly and responsibly.

Nothing should be said or done at the workplace that goes to deny women a sense of their own self-worth or instil a fear of unwanted sexual attention or advances.

Maruthancode (TN)

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