Communal clashes in South Haryana last week are impacting the working of garment factories, mostly the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises units in Manesar Industrial Model Township as they are now facing a shortage of workers.
Manesar has many small and medium level garment manufacturing units.
As per media reports, workers belonging to the religious minority have returned home amid fear and uncertainty in the wake of the communal clashes.
It is believed that around one-third of this workforce were religious minority workers and 30 of them had left hampering the functioning of the unit.
After two days of communal clashes, workers left temporarily, but if they don’t return for another week or ten days, factories will be forced to hire new workers to compete their orders.
Manmohan Gaind, CEO, M. M. Creations says that almost half of his 60-odd employees belonged to religious minorities and have left since the clashes broke out. There was a sense of fear, and in some cases the landlords, fearing a backlash, asked them to vacate the premises.
- M. Creations produces couture clothing and home furnishings.
A large number of workers in this area are engaged in embroidery work and due to lack of workers, deliveries have been impacted.
There were no direct threats to workers but it was more a sense of fear. Local trade association MIWA also took up the matter with the police and the local administration.
Animesh Saxena, President, Udyog Vihar Industrial Association and MD, Neetee Clothing said workers mostly staying in and around Khandsa and Manesar had left, but the units in the Udyog Vihar industrial area did not face any such issue.
