Lockdown is back in India and various parts of the country including the national capital.
Migrant Workers ignore Delhi chief minister's appeal to stay put and head back to villages
In 2020, the government estimated that at least 1 million migrant workers from all across India moved back to their villages and native places during the 68-day lockdown. At least 80 died on the way, mostly because of lack of food, water and rest.
Exodus of migrants have started again in and around India's national capital as thousands have started moving back to their native places following enforcement of six-day long Lockdown since Monday, April 19 night.
 |
| Snap: Amarjeet Singh |
A visit to the bus terminus in Delhi and interacting with people trekking on foot to return home show people's grievances and pent up anger of these faceless Indians are not without good reason, and is going to stay for quite sometime.
A large number of migrant workers, family members and children were seen in bus stands and railway stations desperate to go back home reminding the unprecedented horror the migrant workforce faced last year during the first 21-day nationwide shutdown due to Coronavirus.
According to many of those who are keen to move out of the city, there is "no option" but to leave.
"Last year also some of us went through these," said one such migrant worker.
After the latest lockdown, another migrant worker said they have “no option” but to leave New Delhi as the lockdown takes away their temporary jobs, pushing their families to poverty without basic food and accommodation.
"Last year I had lost my previous job,” said Raju Pandey, a migrant worker from Bihar.
He recalled media reports that this time cases were increasing faster than last year “and so there is every chance the lockdown will be extended.”
The Delhi government imposed the week-long lockdown after the city began to report more than 25,000 new cases daily since last week. Hundreds are dying as the city hospitals lack beds and basic facilities such as oxygen.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced the Lockdown on April 19, saying the government had no other way to check the pandemic’s spread. However, he also appealed to migrant workers not to leave the city.
"I know when lockdowns are announced, daily wage workers suffer and lose their jobs. But I appeal to you not to leave the city. We will take care of you," Kejriwal said in a televised address.
But the movement of migrants suggest they have little faith in the words of Kejriwal or even the federal government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after authorities did little to address their woes last year.
Besides, the government went against its own promises on lockdown, noted Vibhuti Sen, a migrant laborer in a fish market from West Bengal.
"We thought they had learned lessons. But in just a matter of few days, the Delhi government and the chief minister changed their stance multiple times,” he said.
Initially, Kejriwal and his ministers kept saying Delhi would not see another lockdown, but then they imposed a night curfew. “But as nothing worked and the cases began to increase, we now have a week-long lockdown. What is the guarantee that it will not be extended to a month or more?” asked Sen, echoing the general fear among migrant workers.
 |
| A busy Bus Stand: Delhi Govt caught unawares |
"We thought they had learnt lessons. But just in matter of few days, Delhi government and the Chief Minister changed their stance multiple times. Initially Kejriwal and his ministers kept saying Delhi would not see another lockdown, then came in restrictions during night hours. Nothing worked, and as the cases keep increasing, we have a week-long lockdown. Things only indicate that we may move towards worse situations," says Vibhuti Sen, a migrant labourer with a local fish marker from the state of West Bengal.
Agreeing with him, another migrant worker from northern neighbouring state of UP said, the authorities have turned a "blind eye to our agony".
"Moreover, the reports of shortage of oxygen and medicines in city hospitals only indicate that these guys do not have any control over the situation. Poor people suffer the most," he said.
In 2020 March-April, the migrant labourers were faced with the similar situation.
There was high drama involved as the shutdown was for a much longer period. "This time we are cautious. Delhi Chief Minister had personally appealed. Once initial panic gets over, things will be calm and they will be looked after," said a Delhi government official.
In 2020, the Union Home ministry had suspended three senior civil servants of Indian Administrative Service cadre for their "negligence" of duties when exodus started.
Another migrant laborer from Utter Pradesh accused the authorities of turning "a blind eye to our agony.” "Moreover, the reports of a shortage of oxygen and medicines in city hospitals only indicate that these guys do not have any control over the situation. Poor people suffer the most. Is it not better to die in our own homes?” he asked.
In March-April 2020, migrant laborers were faced with a similar situation when Modi announced a complete lockdown that shut down all transport systems and markets with only four hours’ notice.
But a Delhi government official said the “high drama of 2020” will not be repeated. "This time we are cautious. Once the initial panic gets over, things will be calm and they will be looked after,” he told UCA News.
India’s workforce is estimated at one third of its 1.3 billion population but only 10-12 percent of them enjoy the benefits of a fixed salary. An estimated 23 percent or some 300 million people live on less than US$2 a day.
Poverty and political factors will combine to create a crisis of reverse migration, according to political observer Vidyarthi Kumar.
"One thing is certain — there was no lesson learned from 2020. Be it in Mumbai or Delhi, the migrant workers are suffering," he said.
In 2020 and this year, he said, the authorities failed to anticipate the exodus of migrants or make plans to address their plight.
Kumar said the story is similar in Maharashtra too. India's most industrialized state is in a curfew-like situation from April 14 to May 1.
 |
| Forces: Tough Job during Polls and Pandemic |
India has been one of the biggest global vaccine manufacturing countries and has exported millions of doses across the globe. Irony is now, its own demand has increased manifold and there are short supplies.
 |
| Can this gun scare away Wuhanvirus |
It is a panic button. A dangerous second Covid-19 wave is now sweeping across India's vast geography forcing authorities to impose curfews and lockdown in key cities and vulnerable pockets.
Sadly, the second wave has come at a time when the central government, Prime Minister Modi
and economic experts are waiting for recovery of the economy trying to brave from the impact
of last year's shutdown.
Alarmed by the surge of the Covid19, the national capital will go for a week-long Lockdown
beginning 2200 hours (10 pm) from April 19 till next Monday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said.
“We have no other option.....If we do not put a lockdown in Delhi now our healthcare infrastructure will collapse," the Chief Minister said in a televised message to the city dwellers.
The city recorded about 25000 cases. The health infrastructures have come under stress.
"Lockdown will from tonight 10 pm to next Monday 5 am, for six days. However, all essential services will be available," Delhi Chief Minister said. The national capital recorded over 23,500 cases in the last 24 hours between Sunday and Monday (April 19). "Things under stress now. If we do not resort to some harsh measures, things may collapse".
The decision was taken at a meeting held between the Chief Minister and the city Lt Governor Anil Baijal, who is the nominee of the Modi government.
This is the second time since last year's national lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Delhi will witness another round of lockdown yet again.
Arvind Kejriwal had said on Sunday that less than 100 ICU beds are available in hospitals in the capital.
There have been reports of shortage of oxygen and key medicines such as the anti-viral Remdesivir as well from various government and privately-operated hospitals.
"The bigger worry is that in the last 24 hours positive rates of Covid19 have increased to around 30 percent from 24 percent," Kejriwal had told journalists on Sunday.
He also wrote a letter to the Prime Minister. Congress veteran and former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in his letter to PM Modi sought immediate attention to the serious problem.
Dr Singh advised PM Modi to invest in the vaccination campaign.
 |
| Waiting for new 'sun-rise' |
Delhi Chief Minister in his broadcast said those engaged in essential services will be exempted.
These include government officials, police, health workers, pregnant women and other patients,
people travelling to and from airports, railway stations, electronic and print media.
In 2020, India's capital was witness to unprecedented movement of migrant workers back to their
native villages creating a virtual crisis like situation.
Commoners including women and children also faced hardship while they took
on foot to 'return' home.
In March 2020, BJP leaders had alleged that there was an 'element of instigation and misguiding the poor' that had led thousands to gather in the outskirts of Delhi.
Similar reports had come from Congress-ruled Punjab and Rajasthan also.
This time around, the Chief Minister appealed on Monday to the migrant workforce not to leave the city.
"This is only a mini and short Lockdown. Do not panic and do not leave the city," Kejriwal said
in his Monday's address to the citizens.
"I know when Lockdowns are announced, daily-wage workers suffer and lose their jobs.
But I appeal not to leave the city. We will take care of you," Kejriwal said.
Overall, the nationwide situation due to Coronavirus has deteriorated in India.
Officials have confirmed 1,620 deaths from the virus on Sunday.
India, which has been witnessing elections in five large states and festivals like Kumbh has been reporting more than 200,000 cases daily since April 14-15. Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal, the Akharas have announced closure of the Kumbh.
The peak of positive cases in 2020 was around 93,000 cases only.
Social workers and medical experts say, people's negligence, socialising in large numbers
without masks and ignoring the warnings of a second wave have led to the present crisis.
"India began the year 2021 on a positive note with vaccines coming in. But large scale negligence prevailed. Things have now taken a gory turn," says political analyst Ramakanto Shanyal in West Bengal, where three rounds of polling are yet to be taken.
(A worker pours water on newly planted flowers at a burial site for Covid-19 victims at Keputih cemetery in Surabaya, East Java, Photo: Juni Kriswanto/AFP) ..as published in UCAN)
India's most industrialised state Maharashtra that houses the country's commercial hub and cash rich entertainment capital, Mumbai, is following a curfew like situation from April 14 till 7 am on May 1.
Similar restrictions and night curfews have been imposed in various provinces and cities.
ends
No comments:
Post a Comment