16th May 2020
Musings.......
The Economic Survey of India 2017 estimates that the magnitude of interstate migration in India was close to 9 million annually between 2011 and 2016, while Census 2011 puts the total number of internal migrants in the country at a staggering 139 million. UP and Bihar are the biggest source states, followed closely by MP, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. The major destination states are Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra and Kerala.
These vulnerable population of India work in the construction, manufacturing, transport, services, hotel and domestic work market - marked by low pay and hazardous work conditions.
The common issues they face at work is non- payment of wages, physical abuse, accidents and even death. Many informal sector disputes don’t even go to labour courts and those that manage to, languish in courts for lack of proof.
They have poor access to health services - lack of insurance - and most often are forced to go back to their home state if they fall sick, further causing unemployment.
The political class ignores them because they don’t count as votes, especially in the case of inter-state migrants. Due to their mobile nature, they don’t find any place in the manifestos of trade unions. In short, they are the invisibles of this country !
It is in this backdrop that India had to go into a Nationwide lockdown on 24th March 2020 due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. As I write this piece, India is in its 53rd day of lockdown and still we have not been able to stop the steep rise of curve, let alone flatten it.
I should add as a reminder that these government figures on coronavirus cases may be highly underestimated, as we are not testing enough. News from different states have shown that India is not testing to its available capacity, let alone enhance its testing capacity. In its audacious best, the NITI Ayog in one of its damning reports went on to claim that there will be zero new cases in India by May 17th ! On May 15th India reported 3967 cases, with its limited testing.
The situation got worse as due to the National lockdown, public transport was shut down. The poor migrant workers were out of a job and were left hungry and to fend for themselves. Even State Governments receiving high accolades from National and International media forgot their migrant workers. Left for themselves, these poor migrant workers were seen starting to walk to their home states which were in some cases even 1000 kms away.
It took multiple tragedies and many deaths for the government to wake up, and take notice. Shramik Special Trains were hastily organised and a few lucky ones got on those trains. Those who could not had to walk all the way, some perished and the others who did manage to reach their homes, look forward to a bleak future with no work and poverty.
My home state Kerala has declared a 20,000 crore financial package and the Central Government has declared recently, a 20 Lakh Crore financial package. It is as if everyone is turning Santa. Once declared, then we do not hear about these numbers is another comedy of errors and stark reality. We are left to count the number of zeros in these figures. It is as if the government is playing a sad joke on these poor, unemployed, hungry migrant workers who probably couldn’t count the number of zeros in 20,000 crore let alone 20 Lakh Crore !
Economist and Nobel Prize winner Abhijith Bannerjee recently said and I quote “ India has not done anything close to enough to help the poor”. Direct cash benefits is the need of the hour, he says and adds that putting money in the pockets of the poor is the only way of generating demand in the fledging economy.
I sincerely hope the Central and State governments take notice and instead of declaring uncountable zeros, pump money into social security schemes covering both the organised and unorganised informal sectors.
Do not for a second think this is a National issue. Coved-19 has reinforced the plight of the poor in the 21st century. Governments the world over have proven, that the poor mans life is worthless. Even so called socialistic societies have left their poor to fend for itself.
The word “ Unfair” an adjective, according to a dictionary means - not based on or behaving according to the principles of equality and justice. Synonyms to the word include - unjust, unequitable, prejudiced, biased, discriminatory, unwarranted, partisan, one-sided, unjustifiable, immoral, unethical, improper, inexcusable and cruel.
All these words combined would not describe what is happening to the poor and downtrodden in these times of the 21st century pandemic.
Food for Thought.......
RC
rohitchennithala.blogspot.com
rohitchennithala.home.blog
The Economic Survey of India 2017 estimates that the magnitude of interstate migration in India was close to 9 million annually between 2011 and 2016, while Census 2011 puts the total number of internal migrants in the country at a staggering 139 million. UP and Bihar are the biggest source states, followed closely by MP, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. The major destination states are Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra and Kerala.
These vulnerable population of India work in the construction, manufacturing, transport, services, hotel and domestic work market - marked by low pay and hazardous work conditions.
The common issues they face at work is non- payment of wages, physical abuse, accidents and even death. Many informal sector disputes don’t even go to labour courts and those that manage to, languish in courts for lack of proof.
They have poor access to health services - lack of insurance - and most often are forced to go back to their home state if they fall sick, further causing unemployment.
The political class ignores them because they don’t count as votes, especially in the case of inter-state migrants. Due to their mobile nature, they don’t find any place in the manifestos of trade unions. In short, they are the invisibles of this country !
It is in this backdrop that India had to go into a Nationwide lockdown on 24th March 2020 due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. As I write this piece, India is in its 53rd day of lockdown and still we have not been able to stop the steep rise of curve, let alone flatten it.
I should add as a reminder that these government figures on coronavirus cases may be highly underestimated, as we are not testing enough. News from different states have shown that India is not testing to its available capacity, let alone enhance its testing capacity. In its audacious best, the NITI Ayog in one of its damning reports went on to claim that there will be zero new cases in India by May 17th ! On May 15th India reported 3967 cases, with its limited testing.
The situation got worse as due to the National lockdown, public transport was shut down. The poor migrant workers were out of a job and were left hungry and to fend for themselves. Even State Governments receiving high accolades from National and International media forgot their migrant workers. Left for themselves, these poor migrant workers were seen starting to walk to their home states which were in some cases even 1000 kms away.
It took multiple tragedies and many deaths for the government to wake up, and take notice. Shramik Special Trains were hastily organised and a few lucky ones got on those trains. Those who could not had to walk all the way, some perished and the others who did manage to reach their homes, look forward to a bleak future with no work and poverty.
My home state Kerala has declared a 20,000 crore financial package and the Central Government has declared recently, a 20 Lakh Crore financial package. It is as if everyone is turning Santa. Once declared, then we do not hear about these numbers is another comedy of errors and stark reality. We are left to count the number of zeros in these figures. It is as if the government is playing a sad joke on these poor, unemployed, hungry migrant workers who probably couldn’t count the number of zeros in 20,000 crore let alone 20 Lakh Crore !
Economist and Nobel Prize winner Abhijith Bannerjee recently said and I quote “ India has not done anything close to enough to help the poor”. Direct cash benefits is the need of the hour, he says and adds that putting money in the pockets of the poor is the only way of generating demand in the fledging economy.
I sincerely hope the Central and State governments take notice and instead of declaring uncountable zeros, pump money into social security schemes covering both the organised and unorganised informal sectors.
Do not for a second think this is a National issue. Coved-19 has reinforced the plight of the poor in the 21st century. Governments the world over have proven, that the poor mans life is worthless. Even so called socialistic societies have left their poor to fend for itself.
The word “ Unfair” an adjective, according to a dictionary means - not based on or behaving according to the principles of equality and justice. Synonyms to the word include - unjust, unequitable, prejudiced, biased, discriminatory, unwarranted, partisan, one-sided, unjustifiable, immoral, unethical, improper, inexcusable and cruel.
All these words combined would not describe what is happening to the poor and downtrodden in these times of the 21st century pandemic.
Food for Thought.......
RC
rohitchennithala.blogspot.com
rohitchennithala.home.blog
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