“In absence of identify, all government welfare measures become redundant as they have no access to even the basics like ration and medical care,” Prof R B Bhagat observed. (Representatonal Image)

Drawing lessons from the migrants crisis amid the COVID-19 lockdown, the government should set up an interstate migrant council and come up with a comprehensive policy to give the migrants an identity essential for socio-economic empowerment, said Prof R B Bhagat, head of department, migration and urban studies, at the International Institute for Population Sciences. In its absence, multiple welfare measures designed by the Centre and states for alleviation of the poor and needy are meaningless as migrants remain faceless, he added.

Prof Bhagat told The Indian Express, “The Constitution under Article 19 (1)(d) gives people freedom to move anywhere in the country. But unfortunately, government has never considered migration as a livelihood strategy adopted by millions across the country. As a result, we don’t have a concrete migration policy that centres on their socio-economic upliftment.”

“While migrants have been used as a segment by political parties to divide the society to consolidate their votebanks during elections, incorporating their contribution in development and bringing them into the mainstream remains unaddressed,” he added.

“Therefore, the COVID-19 lockdown saw mass exodus of migrants from urban to rural areas across metros, including Mumbai. In absence of identify, all government welfare measures become redundant as they have no access to even the basics like ration and medical care,” he observed.

IIPS has presented a policy paper on “COVID-19, Migration & Livelihood in India” to the Centre. According to Prof Bhagat, Mumbai’s migrant population across category is approximately 40 per cent of its total population (11.24 crore). It includes both permanent and temporary, intrastate and outside state.