Pressure on states to bring back migrants
States like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Assam and Jharkhand have asked Rajasthan to facilitate the return of their stranded students as they were making arrangements for their travel back home. Uttarakhand had earlier arranged for the return of its students from Rajasthan.
Uttar Pradesh’s move to evacuate students from the state stuck in Rajasthan’s Kota last week has mounted pressure on other states to follow suit and ensure the return of their people stranded in other states.
States like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Assam and Jharkhand have asked Rajasthan to facilitate the return of their stranded students as they were making arrangements for their travel back home. Uttarakhand had earlier arranged for the return of its students from Rajasthan.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said he spoke to Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday about the issue. “A large number of Rajasthanis, including migrant workers, shopkeepers, private employees, small businessmen are stuck in Assam, [rest of the] Northeast, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Kerala, Maharashtra and other states. They are feeling frustrated and desperately want to return...”
Gehlot said he told Shah if the Centre allows them to return, only then would they be eager to go back to their workplaces once the lockdown is lifted. He said the Centre should have given at least five days to migrant workers and others to return to their homes. Gehlot added Shah has assured him the Centre will soon take a call on the issue and inform him about it on Wednesday.
Gehlot said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should facilitate the return of migrant workers and others, including five lakh Rajasthanis, to their homes when the Centre can help in the evacuation of foreigners stranded in India.
Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren said he would request for a special train to transport migrant workers and others struck in other states.
He said the Uttar Pradesh government’s move has triggered demands from the people in his state for a similar step. “We are getting calls from parents demanding similar arrangements.”
Soren said he spoke to the Prime Minister and complained about “one nation, two sets of rules” and sought clearance from the Centre for making arrangements to ensure that the students of his state return to their homes.
Officials in Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh said they are inundated with calls mostly from students seeking help in returning to their states.
Amitabh Kundu, distinguished fellow, Research and Information System for Developing Countries, said the government should formulate ways for allowing the workers to commute during the lockdown by issuing electronic passes.
