Miseries and the Massive Relief

On March 28 itself, after a series of rumour-mongering in some parts Delhi Anand Vihar Bus Terminal got flooded with the large crowds. Since then, people in groups have been walking. A clear sign of what was on the offing if the lockdown continues. The Supreme Court on May 15, made it clear that courts can’t monitor or stop the movement of migrant workers across the country. The Centre by then made massive arrangements with shelters and labour camps, later provided transportation to migrant workers across the country and requested them to wait for their turn. There was a natural restlessness among the stranded labourers in the absence of livelihood. Still, simultaneously, there seems to be a clandestine design to blow up the issue with some instigations.

From few lakhs to tens of crores, all numbers are quoted to enumerate the so-called migrant workers. All inter-state labour or resettled families are not ‘migrant workers’. This entire category of the informal sector is under strain not just because of lockdown but our confused models of development. Who has been craving to return to their homes and why are the critical questions.

If we go by numbers, we will get the idea of the scale of the issue. Around four crore migrant labourers are engaged in different parts of the country. Out of them, till May 23, around 75 lakh have returned home in trains and buses. Indian Railways have engaged 2600 Shramik Special Trains, exclusively meant for these workers with 85 per cent support from the Centre and 15 per cent contribution from the States. Till now, 35 lakh have taken benefit of this while 40 lakh more have opted for the bus option. Some of them chose to walk or take whatever means available either the registered list with the state was long or some elements were playing with their disturbed state of mind. Where State Governments were pro-active and established coordination with the other States, the transportation of workers was comparatively smooth. Most of the migrants on the road are originating from Mumbai side is not a coincidence.

If we analyse the chaos, there has been a pattern in this. The States who failed to deliver the benefits given by the Union Government, either related to food grains, shelter or trains services, the uneasiness among the workers increased. Some sections of media with their political masters and international partners have been interested in photo-ops, showcasing the misery of the poor. There were many positive stories of helping out these people on the roads by common Bharatiyas, but they were neglected. This awakened society with sensitive Government machinery is the need of the hour, not making a mockery of the people who are in a miserable situation without doing anything for them. The issue is real, and we have to deal with it with a dual approach, immediate measures and futuristic policy options. Having a long term policy to manage the forced migration and coming up with an innovative approach to give dignified employability to all is the indirect opportunity provided by this crisis. This way, we can ensure Aatma Nirbar Bharat where everyone will be vocal about their local products based on local resources and local needs, as envisages by Gandhiji in his Hind Swaraj.