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Alang shipyard workers flee 'Doomsday'

The world-famous Alang ship-breaking yard in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat wears a deserted look as thousands of workers have fled to their native places in Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar and other states following strong rumours about an impending ''doomsday'' befalling the area on May 8.

Bhavnagar district collector Raj Kumar said of the nearly 25,000 workers engaged in the throbbing ship-breaking industry in the area, only about 2500 have remain, as others have fled in hordes during the last few weeks.

An astrological magazine's ''prediction'' about the alleged doomsday resulted in pamphlets in different languages warning people to leave for safer places as the area would be submerged on that day. To counter the panic, the district authorities are announcing in different languages, to reassure the scared people that nothing would happen.

Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, too, had taken notice of these rumours when, in a workers' meeting on March 28, he cautioned them against wild stories doing the rounds.

According to Kumar, about 25 to 30 per cent of these workers go regularly to their native places during the marriage season every year. However, this year, the exodus became a flood. Due to this, the ship-breaking industry has come to a grinding halt, the collector said, adding that the workers were expected to return in a phased manner after the ''May 8 danger'' passes off peacefully.

Also, reports from Kandla port, which was devastated in a killer cyclone that left nearly 1500 dead and a trail of devastation a year ago, said similar rumours were circulating in this Kutch district town. Many workers have left for their native places from Kandla also.

UNI

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