Migrant labourers selling beef at roadside markets in Chikkamagalur, anger locals

CHIKKAMAGALUR: Migrant labourers who work at estates here are allegedly selling beef at sweetshops set up by the roadside. On Monday, the police nabbed two of them from a marketplace for selling beef at a sweetshop.

The immigrant labourers were caught by Hindu activists selling beef.

According to locals, the immigrants claim to be from Assam and work in estates, but are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. At the estates where they work, they grow vegetables which they sell at roadside markets. Locals say the illegal immigrants also slaughter cattle which enter farms and sell the meat at these markets.

Hindu groups have now started a campaign to stop the illegal immigrants from selling stolen articles at the local markets. Estate owners and the police together also conducted an awareness campaign to stop people from buying stolen items from the immigrant labourers.

Sanjay, a local resident, said that instead of estate owners conducting an awarness campaign against buying of stolen goods, it is better that they stop hiring immigrant labourers to put an end to the problem. “The estate owners hired anyone and everyone, now these same illegal immigrants have become a thorn in their flesh”, he said.

Raghupathy, a leader of a Hindu group, said, “Today, they are stealing and killing cattle. People are worried if these immigrant labourers will cause them trouble tomorrow. At Javali, a bus conductor was assaulted and an estate owner was attacked with stones. At Balehonnur, a group of immigrant labourers attacked a farm owner. They have changed their tactics now because they fear being evicted from the villages if they attack in groups”.

The estate owners and police recently took out an awareness campaign.

“They steal coffee from the estates and sell it. People are worried about the impact of the behaviour of these immigrant workers on local communities. Estate owners are now saying the government and the police should not allow them to conduct business. Those who display violent behaviour must be sent back to wherever they came from”, Raghupathy added.