Stalin warns rumour mongers of strict action

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin warned of strict legal action against those who were deliberately spreading rumours to cause fear and panic among migrant workers, who were actually being taken care of with kindness in the State.

Stalin also assured his Bihar counterpart, Nitish Kumar of no harm befalling those workers, describing everyone who contributed to the development of the State as ‘our own worker’ in a statement on Saturday, issued in the wake of rumours that migrant workers were flooding the railway platforms to run away.

Though the north Indian workers at the railway stations made it clear to the authorities and also the media channels that spoke to them that they were going home for Holi and that they would return after a few days, social media was abuzz with posts of the workers leaving in panic.

Stalin alleged that videos and pictures of certain incidents that took place in other States were being circulated to spread rumours that migrant workers were being attacked in Tamil Nadu. They are ‘against the Indian nation; they cause harm to the integrity of the country,’ he said.

Condemning those playing dirty politics on an issue that did not exist, he told the workers from North India not to have any fear and seek help through the police helplines if anybody threatened them.

He said the State government and the people would be the ‘bulwark’ for all workers and cited a woman from a North Indian State testifying in a television talk show about her child, who could not speak when the family came, recovering after getting coverage under the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme and receiving free medical treatment worth several lakhs of rupees.

Tamil Nadu was always known for its hospitality and had supported people who came and settled down over the years in pursuit of trade and professional opportunities or for health,
education and work reasons. They had all benefitted and also contributed to the State’s economy, he said.

The number of workers coming in search of jobs had increased in the recent past as opportunities had gone up in various areas like the service sectors and construction, small and large industries and the people came with a confidence of getting work and living peacefully as the State government provided basic amenities and protection under labour laws, he said.

Some people, who could not tolerate the prevailing peaceful atmosphere in the State, were trying to denigrate the culture of the Tamil people to bring a bad name to the Government but would fail because workers from other States were aware of the real situation that was attracting more labourers even now with Tamil Nadu welcoming them as always.  

Stating that the rumours started with a journalist from Bihar spreading news of a private conflict between two individuals in some other state as if it had  happened in Tamil Nadu, he appealed to TV channels and social media platforms to be responsible and not publish anything without checking the facts.

Stalin recalled the various forms of help extended by the Chennai Corporation and other agencies to migrant workers staying in camps during the second wave of Covid when 1,29,440 migrant workers with no ration card and no job were also given 15 kg of rice, 1 kg  of toor dal and one kg of edible oil.

Also Rs 6.27 crore had been disbursed to all state workers as accident compensation since April 2021 and 456 awareness  training camps had been conducted for 43,000 workers in the construction industry to  work safely and avoid accidents.