-Scroll.in Falling through the cracks of the public distribution system, they fear stepping out, even for food. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a national Lockdown on March 24 and asked Indians to stay home in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus, it triggered an exodus of migrant workers from the cities. With all work halted and public transport shut, they set off on desperate journeys, aiming to walk back...
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Migrant workers distrust a state that does not take them into account -Partha Mukhopadhyay and Mukta Naik
-The Indian Express Invisible, largely, in the Census and in national sample surveys — and consequently to administrators — field studies have consistently claimed short-term labour mobility in India was significant. Of the many, many countries that COVID has now locked down, India stands, or rather, walks, alone. Bereft of transport, by road or rail, people are walking home, to nearby districts, and to far-off destinations several hundred kilometres away, the mother...
More »136 million jobs at risk in post-corona India -Goutam Das
-Livemint.com * There will be a tsunami of job losses for employees who don’t have a regular salary, people without a written contract * A labour market crunch right now can easily turn into a nightmare. Besides the possibility of social unrest, expect more demands for more reservations in government On a Monday afternoon, a day before India announced a 21-day Lockdown to flatten the curve of covid-19 infections, Sunil Gupta, chairman and...
More »Jean Drèze, Belgian-born Indian economist and social activist, interviewed by Indivjal Dhasmana (Business Standard)
-Business Standard Dreze was part of academicians and activists who recently wrote to the Centre about the situation of the migrant workers Jean Dreze, a renowned Belgian-born Indian economist, says migrant workers are not feeling safe and that is why they are desperate to go back home. He tells Indivjal Dhasmana the Centre’s new order that labour should stay where it is will be difficult to implement. Dreze was part of academicians...
More »Govt doubles down on Lockdown: To stem flow of migrants, state borders are sealed -Krishn Kaushik , Deeptiman Tiwary & Abantika Ghosh
-The Indian Express While Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday underlined that this was the only way to fight COVID-19, the Home Ministry directed states to ensure effective sealing of the borders. As the Lockdown that gradually started from last Sunday entered the second week, the government indicated it was not going to deviate from this containment and mitigation strategy against coronavirus, despite initial hiccups through the week. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi...
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