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India’s Migrant Labour Crisis Can Devastate The Country
Their cries for help are muted, their tears not visible
What is happening?
There are millions of migrant labourers walking hundreds of miles from the big ungrateful cities back to their hometowns. They are making this treacherous journey with little to no food. It is heartbreaking to see some kids and infants treading this journey in the extreme heat.
While the Government has now started train services, there is still a substantial demand-supply gap between ‘what is being done’ and ‘what needs to be done’. The Government claims to have started more than 800 ‘Shramik Special’ trains to assist over 10 lakh migrants. But when you look at the registrations done by the migrants to return to their respective states this no. is way higher (approximately 50–60 lakhs).
Moreover, registration isn’t an easy process either. In some instances, enrollment requires you to go to the police station and wait in queue for more than 12–18 hours at a stretch. Also, in various places, people have to shell out money out of their pocket. People are travelling on foot, by cycle, auto-rickshaw and in goods carrier.
