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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 000739 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON PGOV PHUM PREL PREF PINR PINS PROP SOCI
SMIG, IN 
SUBJECT: INTERNAL MIGRATION POSES DAUNTING CHALLENGE FOR 
INDIA 
 
REF: MUMBAI 40 
 
NEW DELHI 00000739  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary: A skirmish last week in Parliament 
underscored a grave challenge facing India in the coming 
years: large internal migrations caused by the widening gap 
between successful states and failed states.  This 
displacement of people has the potential for significant 
political, economic and social ramifications.  One symptom of 
this emerging challenge played out over the last six weeks in 
Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh (UP) and most recently, 
Delhi.  On March 5, over a dozen Members of Parliament (MP) 
cut across party lines to disrupt parliamentary business and 
demand that Parliament take action to punish Shiv Sena chief 
Bal Thackeray for unleashing a volley of abusive attacks on 
MPs from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.  The Bal Thackeray attack 
and the MPs' response is the latest in a battle that began in 
February when supporters of Raj Thackeray (Bal's nephew and 
head of a rival Maharashtra-based political party) targeted 
and physically assaulted migrants from Bihar and Uttar 
Pradesh.  The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government 
has shied away from direct involvement on the issue, with the 
Home Affairs Minister saying that the GOI has asked the 
Maharashtra government to take action. 
 
¶2.   (U) The disparity in standards of living, quality of 
life and economic opportunity between regions and states in 
India is stark and accelerating.  As workers and their 
families flock to the flourishing states, they are placing 
heavy pressure on the already stretched infrastructure and 
public services, especially in urban areas which absorb most 
of the migrants.  We would not be surprised to see more of 
these "native-soil" backlashes similar to Maharashtra's in 
other parts of the country during the coming years if India 
does not find a way to spread the benefits of economic 
development more evenly between the regions.  Better 
governance in the distressed states would go a long way in 
attracting investment and creating jobs, thus reducing the 
lure of migration and the pressure of rapid urbanization. 
End Summary. 
 
Uproar in Parliament Over Thackeray Comments 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) Sixteen angry MPs from Bihar and UP disrupted 
business in the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) on 
March 5, demanding action against Shiv Sena chief Bal 
Thackeray.  The MPs insisted that Parliament initiate "breach 
of privilege proceedings" against Thackeray for his attacks 
on MPs who had earlier raised concern in Parliament about 
violence in Maharashtra against migrants from Bihar and Uttar 
Pradesh.  Cutting across party lines, the protesting MPs 
belonged to the Rashtriya Janata Party, the Samajwadi Party 
(SP) and the Janata Dal (U). 
 
¶4.  (U) The demands of the MPs were triggered by abusive 
statements by Thackeray in the Shiv Sena magazine Saamna.  He 
accused Bihari MPs of "spitting in the same plate from which 
they ate" by criticizing Maharashtrians.  Excerpts from 
Thackeray's piece include: "(Biharis) are not wanted in 
southern India, Assam and also Punjab and Chandigarh.  (They) 
are a burden in many parts of the country.  (They) antagonize 
local populations wherever they have settled.  The UP-Bihari 
MPs have shown their ingratitude...with an anti-Marathi 
tirade in Parliament."  Thackeray attacked Railway Minister 
Lalu Prasad Yadav saying those who have ruined Bihar should 
not be trying to teach nationalism to Maharashtrians."  He 
also referred to Bihar MP Prabhunath Singh as a murderer who 
should be in jail. 
 
¶5.  (U) The skirmish between MPs in Delhi and Thackeray in 
Maharashtra is the latest in a confrontation that broke out 
in February when supporters of Bal Thackeray's estranged 
nephew Raj Thackeray clashed with SP workers and targeted 
migrants from Bihar and UP in Mumbai (Ref A).  Raj Thackeray 
attempted to consolidate support for his break-away 
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) by cashing in on local 
resentment against migrants from Bihar and UP and 
 
NEW DELHI 00000739  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
irresponsible statements by a Mumbai-based SP leader. 
 
Nitish Kumar Joins the Fray 
--------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar strongly protested 
the goings on in Maharashtra and the statements by Thackeray. 
 He demanded that the UPA government act immediately to 
"protect the country's interests."  He warned that the 
failure of the UPA government to intervene would indicate the 
Congress Party had become complicit in creating a hostile 
environment in Maharashtra.  For his part, Thackeray had 
praised Nitish Kumar while slamming Bihar still harder when 
he was quoted as saying that Nitish Kumar is an honest and 
hardworking person, "who is not allowed to work by the pigs 
of hell." 
 
Congress Party Tries to Duck the Controversy 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Home Minister Shivraj Patil, speaking in Parliament 
a day before the Bal Thackeray salvo, noted lamely that the 
UPA government disapproves of the violence in Maharashtra and 
had asked the state government to take action.  Maharashtra 
Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh evaded the issue, saying in 
Delhi on March 5 that his government is seeking legal opinion 
on whether it can begin proceedings against Bal Thackeray and 
Saamna. 
 
Breach of Privilege Proceedings 
------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (U) Speaker Somnath Chatterjee told Parliament that he 
takes the matter very seriously and "any comment on our 
members...we (will) treat with the contempt that it 
deserves...and action that may be necessary will be taken 
according to procedure...and norms".  He assured the 
parliament that "certainly no one will be spared."  Breach of 
privilege proceedings can be requested by a member of 
parliament who feels falsely accused by anyone of fraud or 
misdeed in the conducts of his/her parliamentary functions 
and duties.  If the speaker believes there may be reasonable 
grounds for breach of privilege proceedings, he will 
constitute a parliamentary committee to hear the matter 
according to established rules.  The parliamentary committee 
has full judicial authority to examine the case, summon 
witnesses and pass judgment, including imposing any sentences 
it wishes. 
 
Comment: Breach of Privilege Determination Unlikely 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶9.  (SBU) It is unlikely that the speaker will rule that 
there are reasonable grounds for establishing a breach of 
privileges committee.  The UPA government will want to tread 
lightly on this issue because of its combustibility.  The 
Congress Party is not displeased, however, with the 
escalation that is taking place on many sides of this matter. 
 An Embassy contact suggested that the Congress Party, in 
trouble in Maharashtra in the run-up to national elections, 
had encouraged Raj Thackeray to take up the battle against 
migrants because it would draw support away from Bal 
Thackeray's Shiv Sena, a long-time Bharatiya Janata Party 
(BJP)-ally.  Bal Thackeray's own inflammatory language may be 
an effort to hold on to the Maratha-chauvinism vote by 
outdoing his nephew at his own game. 
 
Comment: Grave Underlying Challenge 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) The Maharashtra backlash against migrants and the 
events that unfolded after Raj Thackeray's supporters 
targeted people from Bihar and UP are symptoms of a much 
deeper challenge facing India: the large internal migrations 
being induced by the accelerating economic, social and 
governance disparity between successful states and the failed 
states of the country.  Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Karnataka, 
 
NEW DELHI 00000739  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
Maharashtra, Punjab and Haryana are pulling away from states 
like Bihar, UP and Orissa in all the important economic and 
social sector indicators.  The widening gaps between the have 
and have-not regions are causing people to move, particularly 
to the urban areas in the flourishing states.  This, in turn, 
is placing heavy pressure on the already stretched and 
inadequate infrastructure and health, education and other 
public services in the urban areas.  It also brings with it 
lower wages, urban sprawl, shanty towns, slums and higher 
crime. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) We would not be surprised to see more of these 
"native-soil" backlashes in other parts of the country during 
the coming years if India does not find a way to spread the 
benefits of economic development more evenly between the 
regions.  Local and regional politicians will find it hard to 
resist harnessing the discomfort and unease of the local 
population against the migrants.  The internal displacement 
of people will have profound political, economic and social 
ramifications in the years to come.  Better governance in the 
distressed states would go a long way toward attracting 
investment and creating jobs, thus reducing the lure of 
migration and the pressure of rapid urbanization.  End 
Comment. 
MULFORD