On March 31, the Centre informed the Supreme Court that there were no migrant labourers on the roads given the measures governments had ad...
On March 31, the Centre informed the Supreme Court that there were no migrant labourers on the roads given the measures governments had adopted to house and feed them in various states. This submission was made after petitions were moved asking the Centre to act to avert a humanitarian crisis, as labourers began walking hundreds of miles to get back to their native towns and villages.
On Tuesday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation to announce a Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus, workers were still taking to the highways in large numbers trying to get back home.
There can be no doubt over the fact that migrant labourers crisis is the result of government apathy. Despite close to two months passing since the migrant crisis began with the sudden enforcement of the nationwide lockdown on March 25 to curtail the spread of Covid-19, the Centre has not found it necessary to establish a task force to help migrants reach their homes.
Vande Bharat
In the meantime, the Centre has shown alacrity in helping the more prosperous. Early May, it decided to mount a massive mission titled Vande Bharat to bring back those stranded in other countries due to the global Covid-19 situation.
There have been sporadic protests by the...
