The beginning of the 21 day lockdown was marked by a mass migration of migrant workers. Subsequent days saw concerted efforts to house the workers where they were. But big cracks are beginning to appear in that strategy now, and these emphasize the nature of the challenge as the nationwide lockdown is further extended.
On Friday night migrant workers from Orissa went on a rampage in Surat, Gujarat, demanding payment of wages as well as permission to return home. The enterprises where they had been working are obviously shut. Now news that the lockdown has been extended to April 30 has made these workers fearful about being stranded far from home for even longer. Shelter homes in Gujarat are housing stranded migrant workers from several states. Intelligence Bureau officials have sounded warnings about further conflict between these workers and the authorities when the lockdown continues after April 14.
On Saturday evening three night shelters went up in flames in Delhi – the fallout of simmering anxieties and a fight for survival among the homeless, people having free meals there and migrant workers housed there. In Kerala too stranded workers have agitated to be allowed to return home. Home states themselves are not on board for this, given fears that the workers are carrying Covid-19. Unfortunately India does not have the testing capacity to rule this out.
But let us be clear these tensions are not limited to just one class. In a horrifying defiance of the lockdown in Patiala on Sunday morning, a group of Nihangs not only drove their pickup truck through the police barricades but also chopped off a Punjab Police ASI’s hand.
State resources are going to be really stretched to contain such conflicts during the extended lockdown. Police will have a key role, but also vulnerability to public anger. Supply of adequate essentials, widespread remonetization, buttressing of mobile connectivity so that workers can remain connected with their families. Much will need to be done to keep fraying nerves and social tensions in check.
Full story : 11 Nihangs arrested for attacking cops in Patiala
