COIMBATORE:
The Peoples' Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) on Monday demanded
immediate scrapping of the police move to create a data base of migrant
workers living in the state, demanding their identity documents and
taking their finger prints.
Terming such a move as a clear violation of the Indian Constitution and federal spirit, PUCL Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry regional secretary S Balamurugan appealed to police authorities to desist from this illegal activity which amounts to racial discrimination. No law in the country permits such a data base. Police are targeting poor migrant laborers and inciting hatred among residents against outsiders," he said.
"The duty of police is to prevent crime. Instead of doing their job, they have started branding all migrant workers as criminals. Their basic rights and dignity are at stake,'' he said. Urging the chief minister not to allow the state to become a police country, Balamurugan said the chauvinistic move is similar to the attitude of Shiv Sena against South Indians. Such a move would lead to unhealthy polarizations, he said.
According to him, North Indian migrants in the state are working in factories where they are exposed to hazardous chemicals. "They are often killed in industrial disasters. Industrial units exploit them as the state has not implemented the minimum wages act or migrant labourers act in their favour. They are not even provided with a ration card,'' he said.
Terming such a move as a clear violation of the Indian Constitution and federal spirit, PUCL Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry regional secretary S Balamurugan appealed to police authorities to desist from this illegal activity which amounts to racial discrimination. No law in the country permits such a data base. Police are targeting poor migrant laborers and inciting hatred among residents against outsiders," he said.
"The duty of police is to prevent crime. Instead of doing their job, they have started branding all migrant workers as criminals. Their basic rights and dignity are at stake,'' he said. Urging the chief minister not to allow the state to become a police country, Balamurugan said the chauvinistic move is similar to the attitude of Shiv Sena against South Indians. Such a move would lead to unhealthy polarizations, he said.
According to him, North Indian migrants in the state are working in factories where they are exposed to hazardous chemicals. "They are often killed in industrial disasters. Industrial units exploit them as the state has not implemented the minimum wages act or migrant labourers act in their favour. They are not even provided with a ration card,'' he said.