Misery of migrant workers during covid-19 pandemic
Misery of migrant workers during covid-19 pandemic
On 24 March 2020, the Government of India imposed a nationwide lockdown to fight the rising cases of Covid-19. When we were first introduced to the lockdown, the situation was absolutely alien to all of us; it was tough to comprehend what was going on. Now we have got used to it. For those who were in the comforts of their house, it was still convenient, but the plight of about 40 million migrant workers, who were far away from their homes, was beyond imagination. These migrant workers had moved from their villages to work in the big cities as gardeners, drivers, domestic helpers or as daily- wagers on construction sites, homes, flyovers and building malls or as street vendors.
The sudden announcement of the lockdown had put these thousands of people’s lives at stake in the blink of an eye. The access to mandatory requirements for the pandemic, such as the mask and sanitizers was out of the question; these workers were deprived of the essential amenities to survive. With the shutting down of all places of work, they were left jobless. With neither cash nor food, the migrant workers were pushed to the brink of starvation.
For those labourers who were away from their hometown all by themselves, it was still bearable. But for those who had their wives and little children with them, the situation was miserable. These people initially stayed on the roadsides and survived on the food that some of the NGOs and other noble souls provided them. This was not a permanent solution and so impatience set in among these migrant workers.
Unable to bear the difficulties of the lockdown, the migrant workers looked to return to their villages. However, with bus and train services stopped and state borders sealed, that was not really an easy option. The government made no arrangement to aid these people and their families to return to their original places of stay. Not finding any support from the authorities, the migrant workers decided to walk back home. They decided to reach their native places on foot.
It was a terrible sight to see women, particularly pregnant women and little children walking mile after mile without enough food or water. The men looked helpless, they knew that their families were struggling, but they had no option left. The news channels covered their misery, and that is how the common man was awakened to come forward to help these people in whichever way they could.
Some NGOs took it upon themselves to provide meals for these migrant workers every day; some others were found leaving eatables and bottles of water on the stalls they made on the highways. The workers while walking would pick up as much as they needed and continue with their journey. The poverty of the country was mainly revealed during the pandemic. The government put in every effort to bring back students and others living abroad; but for the unorganised sector of labourers, the ones who actually help build India, the government tried its best to find a solution. The National Disaster Management Authority came forward with the brilliant plan of the NIMS or National Migrant Info System. This was set up with the intention of undisturbed and smooth movement of the migrant workers within states and with immediacy.
This system was put to effect with swiftness and the Union Minister gave out orders to the states to upload data of the workers of their respective states, in order to facilitate the working of the NIMS. It was decided that this would remain a central repository that will help in allowing the movement of the workers without any hindrance with the unique ID that will be generated for the purpose. The timely accumulation of such data proved extremely beneficial as the government was able to send these workers back to their home towns and also locate each and every worker.
Towards the beginning of the lockdown a few trains were running, but that was not sufficient to take the large mass of labourers to their homes. There were reports of deaths of several of these migrants while they carried out this perilous journey on the highways and railway tracks on foot. Some individuals committed suicide as they could not bear to see the pain and suffering of their family; while others fell sick and succumbed to their poor health condition.
The situation worsened with news of police disciplining these labourers on the highways and roads; the entire world looked at the inhuman treatment of the labourers when they were taken into custody for the same. Under these uncertain situations, the migrant workers felt trapped and got more and more desperate to return to their native places. It was then that owing to the urgent plea of some influential people that the Supreme Court gave orders that these people be treated humanely and that the necessary things be provided to them. Later, Shramik special trains were started by the Government to help migrant workers to return home.
The desperation of the people reached a level where it was not difficult to manipulate and harass them. A rumour that train services were going to be restored made them gather in large numbers in Mumbai and Delhi. They did not heed to any rules of the pandemic, and a further chaotic situation was established.
The lockdown was an important and hurried step taken by the government to save lives. There was not much time for planning which hit the poorest and most vulnerable citizens of India hard. The plight of the migrant workers of India was the worst thing that could have happened and perhaps the best human resilience the world had ever witnessed.
© Arked
On 24 March 2020, the Government of India imposed a nationwide lockdown to fight the rising cases of Covid-19. When we were first introduced to the lockdown, the situation was absolutely alien to all of us; it was tough to comprehend what was going on. Now we have got used to it. For those who were in the comforts of their house, it was still convenient, but the plight of about 40 million migrant workers, who were far away from their homes, was beyond imagination. These migrant workers had moved from their villages to work in the big cities as gardeners, drivers, domestic helpers or as daily- wagers on construction sites, homes, flyovers and building malls or as street vendors.
The sudden announcement of the lockdown had put these thousands of people’s lives at stake in the blink of an eye. The access to mandatory requirements for the pandemic, such as the mask and sanitizers was out of the question; these workers were deprived of the essential amenities to survive. With the shutting down of all places of work, they were left jobless. With neither cash nor food, the migrant workers were pushed to the brink of starvation.
For those labourers who were away from their hometown all by themselves, it was still bearable. But for those who had their wives and little children with them, the situation was miserable. These people initially stayed on the roadsides and survived on the food that some of the NGOs and other noble souls provided them. This was not a permanent solution and so impatience set in among these migrant workers.
Unable to bear the difficulties of the lockdown, the migrant workers looked to return to their villages. However, with bus and train services stopped and state borders sealed, that was not really an easy option. The government made no arrangement to aid these people and their families to return to their original places of stay. Not finding any support from the authorities, the migrant workers decided to walk back home. They decided to reach their native places on foot.
It was a terrible sight to see women, particularly pregnant women and little children walking mile after mile without enough food or water. The men looked helpless, they knew that their families were struggling, but they had no option left. The news channels covered their misery, and that is how the common man was awakened to come forward to help these people in whichever way they could.
Some NGOs took it upon themselves to provide meals for these migrant workers every day; some others were found leaving eatables and bottles of water on the stalls they made on the highways. The workers while walking would pick up as much as they needed and continue with their journey. The poverty of the country was mainly revealed during the pandemic. The government put in every effort to bring back students and others living abroad; but for the unorganised sector of labourers, the ones who actually help build India, the government tried its best to find a solution. The National Disaster Management Authority came forward with the brilliant plan of the NIMS or National Migrant Info System. This was set up with the intention of undisturbed and smooth movement of the migrant workers within states and with immediacy.
This system was put to effect with swiftness and the Union Minister gave out orders to the states to upload data of the workers of their respective states, in order to facilitate the working of the NIMS. It was decided that this would remain a central repository that will help in allowing the movement of the workers without any hindrance with the unique ID that will be generated for the purpose. The timely accumulation of such data proved extremely beneficial as the government was able to send these workers back to their home towns and also locate each and every worker.
Towards the beginning of the lockdown a few trains were running, but that was not sufficient to take the large mass of labourers to their homes. There were reports of deaths of several of these migrants while they carried out this perilous journey on the highways and railway tracks on foot. Some individuals committed suicide as they could not bear to see the pain and suffering of their family; while others fell sick and succumbed to their poor health condition.
The situation worsened with news of police disciplining these labourers on the highways and roads; the entire world looked at the inhuman treatment of the labourers when they were taken into custody for the same. Under these uncertain situations, the migrant workers felt trapped and got more and more desperate to return to their native places. It was then that owing to the urgent plea of some influential people that the Supreme Court gave orders that these people be treated humanely and that the necessary things be provided to them. Later, Shramik special trains were started by the Government to help migrant workers to return home.
The desperation of the people reached a level where it was not difficult to manipulate and harass them. A rumour that train services were going to be restored made them gather in large numbers in Mumbai and Delhi. They did not heed to any rules of the pandemic, and a further chaotic situation was established.
The lockdown was an important and hurried step taken by the government to save lives. There was not much time for planning which hit the poorest and most vulnerable citizens of India hard. The plight of the migrant workers of India was the worst thing that could have happened and perhaps the best human resilience the world had ever witnessed.
© Arked