Date - 25 May 2020
Reimagining Cities for Migrants
In
the light of COVID-19 pandemic crisis and the subsequent National Lockdown,
Indian metropolises and other big cities witnessed an unprecedented surge of
reverse migration of till date invisible seasonal migrant workers. Mass exodus
of workers, both intra-state and inter-state, working in medium and small
factories, loom industries, and construction industry was being observed. It is
well established that the key reason behind them returning homes (in villages
and peri-urban places), was because cities ( and Centre and State Governments) failed to provide any safety-net, any sense of
belongingness to the seasonal migrants.
After
utter neglect of migrants in first two phases of lock down when desperate
migrants torn away veil of invisibility and started exodus in every possible
manner from cities to their native places Governments have been forced to act
but have started responding in absolutely chaotic manner. GOI has announced very
few measures like one nation – one ration card, increase in MNREGA budget by
Rs. 40000 crores to ensure temporary employment opportunities the migrant
workers in the rural areas, Shramik Special Trains etc. Respective migrant
recipient State Governments have also undertaken some measures to help out
these returnee migrant workers. In future more measure will follow both at
central and state level.
As
of 23th May as per GOI statement 75 lacs migrants have returned back
to home in their native states ( 35 lacs by Shramik Trains and 40 lacs by
buses) and arrangements have been made to transport another 36 migrants in next
10 days to their native place. It is likely that more than 15 million migrants
will go back to their homes in rural and semi urban areas from main cities.
As
a result of this unprecedented migration with each passing day, it is becoming
evident that small industries, and enterprises, work sites etc are unable to
start their operations due to lack of a significant portion of the workforce.
As this reverse migration will continue, the problem of shortage of workforce
will aggravate. With the social, psychological and economic scars of lock down
and then ordeal of journey to home from cities carved on their psyche, the
question remains whether the migrant workers will return to the cities? Will
they return to Cities as transformed (organized, demanding improved working and
living conditions) individuals due to the kind of ordeal they have gone
through?
Foreseeing
this challenge, Maharashtra Chief Minister appealed to the people (Bhumiputra/sons
of the soil) to come forward and take up the job roles performed by the migrant
workers. However, it is yet to be seen that whether the local urban population,
who over the years, have increased their social and economic capital, will be
keen to take up low-paid jobs (cheap labor and drudgery) performed by the
migrant population? It is also necessary to contemplate the impact of such a
shift on the flow of intra-state migration.
Reimagining
Cities for Migrants
The
COVID pandemic thus has brought to forefront the fragility of Indian cities and
its non-inclusive nature towards the migrant workers. With no clear
employer-employee relationships, lack of enumeration, lack of basic urban
services and human living conditions, no
access to social security benefits and most importantly, lack of political
participation in urban areas; Cities have turned into unwelcoming spaces for
the migrant communities.
The
founding premise of these hardships and neglect faced by migrant population in
Cities, is the assumption that the migrant workers (especially inter-state
migrants) are liabilities than assets. Such misconceptions are often backed by
state specific domicile centric socio-political sentiments. But this at a go
reverse migration hopefully will destroy this misconception and role of
migrants as drivers of urban economy[1] will be realized and
consequently to bring back migrants a thought, a policy response, a strategy of
Reimaging Cities for Migrants may emerge!!
Migrants in due course of time if not in full number
but will return to the cities owing to one, continued push of rural poverty;
two, inadequate employment / livelihood opportunities; three, diversification
strategy. The questions that arise are what strategies, what preparations
should be deployed to reimagine the cities to be capable of providing
decent working conditions, social security and better living conditions to the
migrants?
[1] Recent report by Aajeevika Bureau points that
on an average, the remittances of migrant workers is 30 to 40 percent of their
monthly income. This means that a migrant worker utilizes 60 percent of his/her
income in the city itself. Migrant workers fuels in monetary resources (as a
strong customer base) of city’s small enterprises, shops, vendors markets, small
canteens, home based services, rental rooms, or hostels. Such enterprises are
often owned by the local urban poor or lower middle-class households. - Unlocking the Urban: Reimagining Migrant Lives in Cities post COVID
19 —Aajeevika Bureau, May 2020
No comments:
Post a Comment