States told to stop, shelter migrants Seek forgiveness, there was no other way: Modi
Interstate borders to be sealed, migrant workers walking home to be quarantined for 14 days and provided food
NEW DELHI: India on Sunday took urgent measures to halt the march of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers across states in an exodus prompted by a 21-day national lockdown to control the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), with the government ordering the closure of borders and announcing steps to ensure food, shelter and wages to informal workers who form the backbone of the economy.
Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana launched coordinated efforts to control swelling crowds of migrant workers retreating from the National Capital Region (NCR), arranging about 2,500 buses to take people off the streets and ferry them to their hometowns. While officials worked through Saturday night to transport stranded workers from Anand Vihar in the Capital to bordering areas, by Sunday morning, the operation shifted to Lal Kuan in Ghaziabad. From Lal Kuan, long-range buses took people to their villages in several districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the lockdown beginning March 25, highways across the national capital and other metropolises have teemed with people walking hundreds of kilometres with their belongings. While stranded migrants cited the shortage of money and food as reasons for leaving big cities, health experts warned that an exodus could run contrary to the purpose of the lockdown — breaking the chain of infections. On Sunday, the Centre asked state governments and Union Territories to “effectively seal” state and district borders to stop the movement of the migrant workers. Those who have already reached their destinations will be put in 14-day quarantines for violating the lock
This is deeply unfortunate. They [those in quarantine or isolation] are not criminals...in fact, they are staying in quarantine to protect others. They are displaying responsible behaviour NARENDRA MODI, Prime Minister
down to make sure they haven’t contracted the infection. In an order, the Union home ministry said: “Movement of a large number of migrants have taken place in some parts of the country so as to reach their home towns. This is a violation of the lockdown measures on maintaining social distance.”
It said that to effectively implement the lockdown “and to mitigate the economic hardship of the migrant workers”, district magistrates and police officers were being directed to take a host of measures. The five measures are: temporary shelters and provision of food for the poor, including stranded migrants; 14-day quarantine of those who have already moved; uninterrupted wages and exemption from paying rent for a month. “If any landlord is forcing labourers and students to vacate their premises, they will be liable to action,” the government said. Many of India’s estimated 100 million migrant workers have walked along arterial roads in the NCR, tried to hitch rides and gathered in thousands at bus terminals to leave for their towns and villages since Tuesday midnight.
NEWDELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday apologised to citizens, especially the poor, for harsh decisions that have caused difficulties — yet reiterated the importance of the nationwide lockdown as the only way to beat back the coronavirus disease pandemic — while reaching out to a wide range of individuals affected by the disease and its aftermath.
In his monthly Mann ki Baat radio address, the PM explained the rationale of his decision to impose the 21-day lockdown; asked citizens to strictly abide by it; spoke about how this period can be used to enhance emotional bonds; asked for empathy and understanding for those who were infected by the virus or were in quarantine; spoke to patients and doctors to understand their experiences of the disease; and acknowledged the role of those in the front-line of battling the pandemic and keeping essential services running.
This was the third time the PM was speaking to the nation in less than 10 days.