Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
Case Study — 12: Violence against migrant workers
- 07 Dec 2018
- 3 min read
You are posted as the district magistrate for a remote district in a state that shares its boundaries with a neighbouring country. The district you are in has no recent history of mob violence or mass violent protests. In the last decade, some textile mills were set up in the district which saw a surge of migrant workers coming in for jobs. Without these migrant workers it will be very difficult to run these textile mills. These workers also send home money to their families and without this work they will suffer as well.
Recently, some miscreants belonging to the migrant worker community were arrested for the rape and murder of a small child. Following which there was a violent backlash against the community. Local political leadership is also taking advantage of the situation to portray the incident as a communal matter rather than a criminal one. Miscreants are also using social media to spread hatred and issue warnings against the migrant worker community. The migrant workers have therefore, started fleeing their homes, leaving their jobs and belongings behind, afraid for their lives.
- Given that you are responsible for the safety of the migrant workers as well as the local populace, what solutions will you provide to reduce enmity between the two said communities?
- In what ways can you help the fleeing workers and make them feel safe enough to stay back?
- Suggest measures to stop the spread of hatred on social media, and also to stop politicians from using this issue to further their careers.
- All over the country, there are similar situations where a criminal act by a few miscreants from a particular community gets painted as a communal act blaming the entire community - triggering the exodus of ‘outsiders’ from that region or state. We have seen this repeatedly in cases of North Eastern states, Maharashtra and recently, Gujarat. What can be done to stop this challenge to national integration? Suggest remedial measures backed up by moral-ethical principles to justify your answer.
