The plight of the poor in India

Migrant workers with their family on the road as they look to head back to village. Credit/Scroll.in

On March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus. States sealed their borders and transport came to a halt. Little did anyone know, at the time, the effect it would have on the lives of migrant workers, left to fend for themselves.

With all avenues of making money shut, many agitated workers staged demonstration, demanding trains and buses to transport to their native places. Several thronged to the railway and bus stations, flouting social distancing rules and putting themselves and others at risk, all in vain. Clashes erupted at many places including Mumbai and Surat, forcing the police to resort to lathi charge.

PM's slogan 'stay home, stay safe' meant little to these workers, who had families to feed.

The choice was to either die of hunger or take a chance with the deadly coronavirus and head home. But with no transport available, workers took to the road on foot, walking hundred of miles with their families in brutal heat. For the first time since partition, India witnessed a migration of this scale.

When images showing the harrowing state of workers crossed the boundaries, it drew worldwide condemnation. The plight of the poor people, who move from one state to another in search of livelihood, got the spotlight. The incident highlighted the government's poor handling of the situation as their earlier responses offered little or nothing.

Thousands of workers were already on the road, and those who reached after completing the arduous journey, had to go through a screening process to enter their state.

At a checkpoint in Bareilly, a group of migrant workers were sprayed with disinfectant before they could enter the district. The workers were not only fully clothed but had baggage strapped to their bodies as they were being drenched in the liquid.

If anything, the situation brought into light the treatment of poor people in India.

The government eventually woke up to the crisis and on May 1, the Indian railways started Shramik Special trains to transport migrant workers, students and tourists among others, who were stranded due to the nationwide lockdown, back to their native places.

It was a welcome relief.

References -

https://thewire.in/law/supreme-court-migrant-workers-crisis-abdicate-responsibility

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/why-india-s-migrants-deserve-a-better-deal-11589818749274.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52360757

https://theprint.in/opinion/indias-covid-19-exodus-isnt-like-partition-but-2020-has-one-thing-in-common-with-1947/393200/

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