Treat issue of migrant workers as national emergency, academicians urge govt

Fear, uncertainty, distress and inhumane treatment by local officials and police have resulted in a situation where widespread unrest and violence may occur anytime, the academicians said in a statement.

Migrant workers being forced two stay put in the states they work in or being forced to restart work can lead to a situation of unrest, a group of academicians and civil society members have cautioned.

Patna: Migrant workers, arriving from various parts of country, walk towards their homes in Patna on Friday. (PTI Photo)

In statement issued on Friday, the group urged states and the central government to make arrangements for the safe travel of the migrant workers and said, “The understandable angry outbursts of millions of migrant labourers stranded in these economic centres have created volcanic situations that can create a serious law and order problem in the country.”

On Friday morning, at least 16 people were killed when they were run over by a train in Maharashtra as Aurangabad. According to railway officials, the workers were walking towards their home state of Madhya Pradesh after losing their jobs during the lockdown imposed to check the coronavirus pandemic.

In the absence of public transport that has already been stalled in keeping with the lockdown conditions, workers across states are being forced to walk.

“Fear, uncertainty, distress and inhumane treatment by local officials and police have resulted in a situation where widespread unrest and violence may occur anytime. The only option is for the central government to ask railways to ferry them home in hundreds of trains from all main economic centres, and to manage this process in an orderly manner, without harassment and stampede,” the statement issued by the groups reads.

The group said it has been receiving reports from Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Ahmedabad, Delhi and several other urban centres where the lockdown has made migrant labour anxious to return home. “Our estimate based on the past census and NSS data and ground level information is that nearly 6 to 8 million of them are still stranded and a desperate to go home. Many of them are hungry and without shelter,” the statement said.

Referring to reports of states forcing workers to stay back, such as in Karnataka (though the state later rolled back the decision), the group said workers cannot be subject to inhuman conditions.

“We hear reports the time in business community have advise state governments to keep them within the states for restarting the economy post lock down. While giving definite offer of jobs in social security is welcome, they can be no logic to detain them against their wishes,” the statement said.