MAIT says Wistron vandalism has potential to dent India’s image

Bengaluru: Apex electronics industry body MAIT has expressed its apprehension that the recent vandalism at Taiwan-based iPhone manufacturing unit of Wistron India’s facility in Karnataka could tarnish the country’s image.

The Manufacturers’ Association of information Technology (MAIT), which represents the IT, mobile, datacom, consumer electronics, white goods, industrial electronics and services subsectors, also sought decisive action by the authorities to bring the culprits to book.

“India is host to many global companies that have chosen India as a preferred destination for manufacturing across all major sectors like Electronics, Pharma, Telecom, Automobile and others. This is a one-off incident which has the potential to tarnish Indias image,” MAIT president Nitin Kunkolienker said in a statement.

Condemning the violence at Wistron at Narasapura in Kolar district in Karnataka on December 12, he urged the local authorities to initiate an immediate and decisive action “which sends a message to the global community on Indias tough stand on this aberration.”

The country has a very well laid out grievance redressal platforms and laws to protect the interest of workers, he noted. “In this context this incident is unfortunate and the culprits need to be brought to book,” he added.

A large number of workers of the facility went on a rampage destroying office equipment, vehicles, machines, costly gadgets and glass cabins allegedly over salary issues.

More than 150 people have been arrested in connection with the incident. The Karnataka government has condemned the incident and promised to initiate stringent action against the culprits.