While we gear ourselves to
celebrate the humanity with measures that can sustain and foster happiness for
all, we do hear some detestable voices in some parts of our country. In the
last couple of months there is a rise in the voice against the migrant workers
in Tamilnadu. This is not just against the ethos of our plural culture but also
against the Constitution. Our constitution Guarantees safety to each and every
citizen through its article 19 (1)(e) which says that every citizen of India
has the right to reside and settle in any part of India. The hue and cry is not
just against the people who are in the white collar job, but also against the
poor workers who migrate to other parts of India for their survival. These
protests completely hide the fact that there is very minimal workforce
available in the state. The business community is forced to seek the workforce
from other parts of the country. No one would prefer to employ a labour who is
not conversant with the local language. But in spite of hardships faced in the
working environment, the migrant workers quickly adapt to the new
circumstances, learning the local language, and bridging the gap between them
and their employer. The same vested interests who protest now will be mute when
the issue of illegal immigrants is raised. For them an illegal immigrant, who
is inimical to the sovereignty of our nation is more acceptable than their own
countrymen. The abhorrent voices raised just in time when we gear ourselves up
to deliver the Universal Brotherhood message to the world from a responsible
position is not a mere coincidence. This only shows that the path ahead in our journey
towards the ideal is full of challenges. The strength of falsehood lies in its
power to propagate, while the strength of truth is inherent in its message.
Satyam Eva Jayate.
V.V.Balasubramanian.
YB-ET
