Migrant workers and labour have become a big news these days. It is a large population of approximately 130 million people who migrate from rural areas to urban labour markets, industries and farms. Some regions like UP and Bihar have been known for rural migration for. The migrant labourers are estimated to make up 80% of the Valley’s construction workforce. The number of seasonal migrants in Kashmir also varies from two lakh to five lakh and, as per the 2011 Census data, around 28 lakh migrants from other parts of India also come to Kashmir. Being a conflict zone, Kashmir has its own share of security and safety concerns in comparison to any other part of India. Despite this, thousands of migrant workers travel to various parts of Kashmir in search of livelihood.
One of the biggest sectors for this labour is construction work, domestic work, textiles and brick kiln industry etc. Devoid of critical skills, information and bargaining power, they often get caught in exploitative labour arrangements that forces them to work in a low-value and hazardous works. Lack of identity and legal protection accentuates this problem. The hardships of migrant workers are especially magnified when state boundaries are crossed and the distance between their native and working places becomes very far.
The structures and cities built by their hard labour and exploitation never enter the consciousness of the builders, architects and even the eventual owners. Instead after completing their assigned job they are considered a part of the problem of big cities. The political class ignores them because they don’t count as votes banks, especially in the case of inter-state migrants. They spend their whole day on worksites and quietly go into their makeshift unkempt shelters at night, without the cities even noticing them. There had been one legislation of 1979 to protect their interests which is obsolete and not enforced anywhere. They are usually missed out in the BPL surveys. In short, the current political system which is based on money power has no place for them.
In the masterstroke when government announced a complete lockdown from 25th March at a four hour notice this category of our population suffered the worst. The first lock down was followed by successive ones, and everybody was asked to stay put wherever they were. During this period most of them lost their wages because of a total cessation of construction, factories, text tiles and they had to fend for themselves. Public at large became indifferent, self-centric and insensitive towards even the domestic workers. These workers, often females, who for years were rendering services to families living in various residential areas in cities were also very badly hit. The colonies closed their entry gates and even dispensed with the watchmen and guards who were a part of these migrants. In many places these workers were living in adjacent areas so as to be on the beck and call of their employers. During this period the services of thousands of them were terminated for fear of getting infected by COVID19.
The meagre savings these poor workers had started getting exhausted. Food and shelter became a major issue and they had no money to send to their families in villages. Although some feeble attempts and photo opportunities were made to provide food but their patience and endurance was over. This resulted in a mass exodus from all the metro cities of the country towards their native places. They all felt that sharing poverty with their kith and kin, where they would get at least 2 square meals and a place to sleep was the best option left.
The transportation facilities to get back were abysmally inadequate despite waiting for days to get a seat in either trains or buses. This was amidst the centre and states making claims and counterclaims of arranging it and bringing in petty party politics. This compelled lakhs of migrant labour and workers often with their families including pregnant women and children to walk on highways and along railway tracks to their destinations which were often hundreds to thousands of miles away. Some of them who had still some money left were given a ride by trucks, tankers, trollies etc where they were packed like sardines. Every day scores of them have been dying or getting serious injuries in accidents including being run over by trains with numbers which run into hundreds.
Petitions including PILs in the Supreme Courts were either not allowed or if allowed did not influence the judges who responded by concluding that it could not prevent people from walking anywhere, they wanted. These custodians who are well aware of the facts pretended ignorance. The confidence in the courts of the country is on a wane because of their seemingly partisan attitude seen on a number of issues.
Now with the lockdown 4 where a rapid economy revival is envisaged and encouraged, the same unfortunate migrant labour is being wooed to return back to contribute again in the task of putting the nation back on rails. In the meantime, several state governments have decided to bring an ordinance to altogether exempt factories and establishments from most labour laws barring them for a period of three years with a hire and fire policy and increasing their hours of work to 12 hours per day. This is the plight of the builders of the nation who are being treated like slaves in the times when India is considered to be an emerging and potential superpower. We need to be more empathetic to the 10% of our population which shoulders the task of nation building. How can they become invisible and be brushed aside? It is a case of accountability of the nation’s conscience and its social responsibilities. Should we be placing it under a lock down?
Prof Upendra Kaul is doctor and scientist, awarded Dr B C Roy Award and Padmashiri.