– Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi, Jan. 28: As Israel looks to address the labor shortage that has suddenly intensified owing to its aggression in occupied Gaza and the West Bank, it appears Islamophobia is ruling supreme in the country. Amit Kumar, a recruiter from Uttar Pradesh, is openly telling aspiring workers that Muslims cannot apply for the job.
The Washington Post reported that Amit Kumar claims, “They don’t want Muslim workers,” “Your name should be Hindu,” and “Only Hindu brothers can apply,” he informs viewers in YouTube videos outlining the application process.
“In India, Amit Kumar, a recruiter in a small town in Uttar Pradesh state who works with a large New Delhi workforce agency called Dynamic Staffing Services, is telling interested workers that Muslims cannot apply for the job. “They don’t want Muslim workers,” he said in an interview. In numerous YouTube videos explaining the process and calling for applications, he tells viewers, “Your name should be Hindu” and “Only Hindu brothers can apply.”
Officially, there is no such restriction in place as far as the various state governments that approved the recruitment campaign are concerned. However, the prejudiced behavior persists.
However, the Washington Post said the managers at Dynamic Staffing Recruitment Agency did not answer repeated requests for comment.
Indian activists and unions have criticized the recruiting push, claiming that the working conditions are hazardous. The general secretary of a Haryana-based union representing construction workers, Ramher Bhivani, stated, “We are against this because it is sending workers into the mouth of death.” “They lure workers in with big salaries, but none of my employees want to leave.”
According to Israeli officials, they anticipate hiring 10,000–20,000 Indian migrant laborers in the upcoming months.
Shay Pauzner, deputy director general of the Israel Builders Association, said approximately 5,000 workers in New Delhi and Chennai had already been secured. “India will be one of, if not the largest, suppliers of building workers in Israel in the coming years,” Pauzner added.
Meanwhile, many Indian unions have issued press statements claiming that the action will be seen as “complicity” with “Israel’s ongoing genocidal war against Palestinians.”
