Picking Up Peace – on economic costs of riots

Source– The post is based on the article “Picking Up Peace” published in “The Times of India” on 7th August 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Internal Security. GS1- Communalism

Relevance: Communal violence

News– Communal clashes broke out in Nuh, Haryana, a week ago. Media reports say that migrant workers in Gurgaon have begun to leave due to fear over their safety.

How riots in Haryana are not good for its economic progress?

The occurrence of riots contradicts India’s narrative of economic progress. Without social harmony, the economic climate becomes unfavorable for investments.

An encouraging economic trend is the emergence of India-based Global Capability Centers (GCC) that handle multinational firms’ operations.

Gurgaon stands out as a significant hub for GCCs and contributes to India’s services exports. However, Gurgaon faces tough competition from other Indian cities, particularly those in southern states .

It has impacted Gurgaon’s reputation as a preferred economic location.

What should be done?

There is a need for proactive measures by the Haryana government.

The state can learn from Tamil Nadu’s response to a similar incident in March. A viral fake news led to fear among Hindi-speaking economic migrants, with reports of attacks on them.

In that case, the state government collaborated with industry associations to reassure anxious workers. The political leadership took charge of the effort and even sought support from the Bihar government.

Haryana should adopt a similar approach. It cannot be left solely to a few police officers to address the concerns of workers who wish to leave Gurgaon.