Open House 3

Treat them in a dignified way

It’s painful to watch men, women, tiny tots and elderly people venturing out on foot, cycles, rickshaws, in asphyxiating containers and cement mixers to their far-off home states without having any food or eatables to eat during their arduous journey. The government is wholly responsible for their plight. We followed the European model of lockdown to contain the virus without giving a serious thought to the consequences it can have on poor people and daily wagers. Much damage has already been done. We have a crisis of monstrous magnitude staring at us. Still, we can do a lot to restore the confidence and win the faith of migrant workers. First and foremost, they need to be treated in a dignified way. Standing for hours under the sizzling sun for medical check-up and then at railway stations to board a train is inhuman. The administration must make sure that they wait for their turns in well-ventilated waiting rooms and drinking water and refreshments are made available to them during the arduous wait. They are the real nation builders. We have to be sensitive towards them and try to mitigate their woes.

Rajiv Sharma

Fulfil their needs to check their exodus

Feeling betrayed and cheated, most of the jobless and penniless migrants are left with no choice but to leave for their home states. Local administrations have also failed in making proper arrangements for their transportation to home. The Centre should notify all universities/colleges with hostel facilities as shelter homes for migrants till their departure. To mitigate their sufferings, medical screening, physical documentation and ticketing should be arranged at these temporary shelter homes. District Transport Departments should ferry migrants to makeshift centres for their onward journey. A nodal officer must be appointed at the state headquarters to fulfil all needs of migrants to prevent their exodus. A 24-hour help desk should be formed to process the death and accidental claims of migrants on priority.

Anil Vinayak

Deposit cash in migrants’ accounts

Had employers assured their workers of taking care of their all needs immediately after the first lockdown, they would not have left for their homes in other states. A previous experience of the 2008 economic downturn showed that those industries that retained their workers were quicker to recover. Most migrant workers send money to their family members living in other states. Owing to the loss of work or job, how these migrants will feed their dependants. So, returning to their home states is the only option for them. They know very well that they are being provided food, lodging and other facilities only on a temporary basis. It is the need of hour that the government must deposit some cash into their accounts so that all migrant labourers and their families survive this global crisis.

Amarjit Kalsi

Don’t force them to pay rent

State governments have miserably failed to check mass exodus of migrants from the region to their home states triggered by the lockdown. At least, the government should arrange transport for them to reach their home towns safe. Those who are willing to stay back should be provided means of subsistence till the time the lockdown is in force. The landlords should not force them to pay rent for a certain period of time. A sense of belongingness should be created so that migrants do not feel isolated. They should not be coerced to go or stay back. They should be allowed to act according to their own free will. The need of the hour is to treat them with sympathy. The Centre has initiated several measures to alleviate the lot of the migrants but so far they have turned out to be futile and directionless. They should not be left to fend for themselves.

Tarsem S Bumrah

Ply more trains for them

The lockdown has affected everyone in one way or the other, but migrant workers are the worst hit. The decision to send them to their home was taken too late. Moreover, government officials should collect data of migrants from all the cities like their name, address, contact information and their occupation, etc. Also, state governments should work in tandem with the railways to ensure the plying of a large number of trains in a day to the states, such as UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, etc. An adequate amount of food, water and a safe shelter should be arranged for those whose names are included in the waiting list. Vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, children, elderly people should be sent to their native places on a priority basis. No worker should be forced to stay. However, if anyone is willing to stay as factories are reopening, owners should offer them accommodation, food and good salary. Cooperation and communication between states are important so that necessary arrangements can be made by those states to which migrant workers are returning. Everyone deserves to be with their loved ones in these difficult times, so every possible step should be taken to make their journey safe and hassle-free.

Anureet Bal