‘We have not factored in migrant workers in our realm of things’

CHENNAI: The powers that be may not understand a humanitarian crisis as well as economic disasters. The utter neglect of migrant workers and their hardships across the country, which has resulted in an exodus of labourers from cities to their villages, will cost the country’s economy dearly, says professor S Irudaya Rajan of the Centre for Developing Studies in Kerala.

“This is just the beginning,” says Rajan, who is part of the Kerala government’s expert panel on COVID-19, speaking with Express. “Now, apart from special trains and few other means are available to leave. This is not a real indication.” The full extent of the exodus will only be known when normalcy restores in the movement of people, says Rajan. “People will still be leaving in June.”

The professor says the real problem here is because we have not factored in migrant workers in our realm of things. “This shows we have failed in our planning. “If the State and their respective employers had taken care of them, if they had been offered financial support, they would have had no reason to leave.”  

Rajan warns of an ‘extreme labour scarcity’ in cities like Chennai in the near future. “Rural areas may not have enough jobs for the migrant workers returning home. As a result, starvation, poverty, and even suicide rates may increase. On the contrary, in urban areas, there will be a lot of jobs but no labourers available.”

“We are set to witness a huge economic crisis because of this.” Rajan says even if the labourers decide to return to the cities for jobs, it would not happen in the next six months.“The Indian Government has announced several economic packages but what is being done for the labourers? Capital and labour together can only result in growth, not one without the other.”

(Full interview on www.newindianexpress.com)