It's high time, PM made direct appeal to migrant workers through televised address, urging them to remain put at, whatever locations they are. At the same time, construction and manufacturing activities should be allowed to be resumed at the earliest with social distancing restrictions.
He should assure them that manufacturing & construction activities shall resume soon and hence they shouldn't rush to their native places. Problem is if the above activities resume tomorrow, there will not be enough labours left for the work and thus jeopardising interests of labour as well as industry. There is another reason for discouraging them to go to their native places. If large number of migrant workers reach their villages, there is likelihood of spreading of corona in the remote villages too, which thanks to God, so far remain largely much safer. If corona spreads to villages too, it will be nightmare for the country. In that situation nobody can save this country.
So, it is high time, PM speaks to CMs of all the states fix accountability of state Governments for outflow of #MigrantWorkers, ask them to prevent outflow and allocate state governments with special finance meant for this purpose.
Why PM should make appeal through televised address? Not only bcoz he is PM of the country but mainly bcoz most of the people including #MigrantWorkers listen to PM Modi with rapt attention and if PM Modi makes a passionate appeal to #MigrantWorkers, their movement shall majorly stop for sure. #LockDown is not fault of anybody. That was the need of the hour, however at the same time, it is heart wrenching to watch migrant workers , walking on foot, hundreds of kilometers in most difficult conditions and then losing their lives in accidents on railway tracks and on roads. Whatever be the reason, it must stop now.
How I wish that all the emplyers if the migrant labourers could have paid them salaries so that they were not left penniless and are forced to return to their homes. Modi Ji had exhorted all employers to do the same. But that was not to be. For the simple reason that they too didn't have any income so as to distribute amongst their employees.
ReplyDeleteSo to expect that if Modi ji exhorts the labourers to stay put, they will do so, is a dream, not reality.