Covid-19 and the Migrant Rush

( The article was written by the author, Sarthak Somani, on May 8, 2020, and was then originally published at ‘Journalism Society MITS’ blog. Link: http://www.journalismsociety.in/2020/05/covid-19-migrant-rush.html)

“ We don’t want work or our dues, just send us home: Metro workers in Bengaluru “. “Migrants protest in Gujarat & Kerala — ‘Take us Home’”. “Rush for seats as first train leaves from Surat, site of migrant unrest”. “From the belly of a concrete mixer, emerge 14 migrants headed from Maharashtra to UP.” The newspapers are full of such reports these days. Migrant workers, especially low wagers, are desperate to reach back home. The desperation can be fathomed out by the fact that many have been undertaking long and painful journeys back home, on foot, under the summer sun.

But what explains this desperation? Why aren’t they staying put as advised by the authorities? Many are ready to pay out of their pockets to reach back home — the place which couldn’t and won’t be able to ( at least in the short run) provide them with a livelihood. Since this amounts to financial loss at a personal level and does not make economic sense — what is the rationale for such moves then?

A plausible explanation can be ‘not a happy lockdown’ and an uncertain future. Generally, the living conditions of a typical low wage migrant worker aren’t very good. In order to be able to send remittances back home, expenditure has to be curtailed. The residence isn’t spacious but jam-packed (where following social distancing and good hygiene is a challenge in itself). With the income flow blocked due to a halt on all economic activities during the first phase of lockdown (which was the need of the hour and timed well) and uncertainties about future employment, fears arise in the mind. Further, when on one hand freedom to move is curtailed and on the other, the local administration does not or is unable to contact you and deliver the essential services, your fears are exacerbated. Missing the cuisine of your native place, missing your family members — all of this makes you homesick. And now you want to return to your hometown/native place as soon as possible, whatever be the cost.

So is the state enabled ferrying back of the migrants the desired solution?

There are 3 major arguments put against the proposal.

First and foremost, sending back migrant labourers raises serious moral questions. Is the host state not responsible to take care of the migrants? Should the migrant labourers be left onto them and their home states to be taken care of? Is such discrimination permissible?

Then there are these economic concerns. As the lockdown is lifted in a phased and gradual manner, how will the firms resume operations? Firms will face a labour shortage as the workers will have returned back home. Supply chains will be disrupted. On the other hand, migrant workers will also remain unemployed, at least in the short run. (They moved to a different state to find a job in the first place). This creates a strange situation of employers without workers and workers without employment.

Last, but equally important are the health concerns. Most migrants hail from the Eastern states, termed ‘backwards’ according to various social indicators. There are serious shortcomings in the healthcare sector in these states, be it infrastructure, doctors or ancillary medical and non-medical staff. Since preliminary screening does not filter out asymptomatic patients, what happens if the disease reaches the hinterland? How prepared are these states in case of a local outbreak? Are they in a position to be able to control an outbreak? With the rural healthcare sector being in a dilapidated condition, effective containment and treatment seem unlikely.

So should there be no migrant movement allowed?

While addressing the concerns of the vulnerable remains a priority, ferrying back migrants must not be the prime response but the last resort. We must recognize that the exodus is due to ‘push factors’ rather than ‘pull factors’. Addressing the situation requires that the fears of the vulnerable are assuaged. If the migrants feel that there is a secure and caring environment in the host state and that the lockdown is just a temporary pause with an adequate safety net provided for the time being, the desperation to return back home will plummet.

This is a challenging but feasible task. State governments remain in the front-line here. As a first step, the Chief Minister of the concerned state can make televised assurances. These should be highly publicized. When a popular high-level government authority promises guarantees, it soothes the apprehensions of the general public. ( One good example is that of the Telangana CM KCR. He held a press conference. The content of his address was praiseworthy but more interesting was the fact that he spoke to the press in fluent Hindi. The head of a Dravidian state holding a press conference in Hindi, sounds strange right? However his choice of language was very logical as most of his intended audience, the migrant workers, understood Hindi !) However this must not remain merely lip service. It must be complemented by the field level officers delivering on those promises. The people in general, and especially the vulnerable, must be contacted timely and regularly by the local administrations and their concerns be addressed. A disconnect between the people and the authorities creates anxiety and fears. Good governance entails that this abyss is bridged and distrust minimized so that the morale of people is not down in such challenging times. Civil society members and NGOs are also stepping forward and providing whatsoever possible aid and assistance. Private industry players such as Zomato, Swiggy, Amazon Transportation services, Ekart, Bluedart, etc. can also be roped in for doorstep delivery of goods, with proper and quick business agreements, given their strong home delivery service network.

Although the aforementioned is easier said than done, it is the need of the hour. The situation we face today is unprecedented. A remarkable fact about the Steel Frame Indian Bureaucracy is that however inefficient (or sometimes efficient) it be in the day to day governance, it is commendably efficient in accomplishing herculean challenges. Take for instance conducting the Great Indian Elections, the biggest election exercise in the world, or organizing the Kumbh Mela, the largest human congregation on the planet! Let’s hope that our bureaucracy aces the test this time as well and we successfully tide over these tough times!