For migrant workers, the meaning of Independence
Millions walked back home during the lockdown and have no income. But there is light at the end of the tunnel
India celebrated its 73rd anniversary of Independence on August 15. As Indians, we have a lot to be grateful for. But, there are also some worrying and dark aspects to our social milieu. While most of us are justifiably proud of our past, many of our compatriots are in a precarious position today, their distress exacerbated by the pandemic, their future uncertain.
Let me narrate the story of Deepak Brahma, from Kokrajhar district in Assam. Due to the lack of employment opportunities in his native village, he went to Gujarat where he toiled to support his family. Covid-19 took his job away. Like many other migrant workers, he decided to return home to his village. As a daily wage earner, he had no savings since he had used everything he earned to sustain himself and his family. His family raised money by selling household items to enable him to return. After getting home, Brahma and others like him found that they were shunned in their villages. With no work and no money, and treated as possible carriers of the infection, they were treated as outcasts. When hunger overwhelmed Brahma and his family, he sold his newborn daughter for ~45,000 to feed his other two children for a while. But his misfortunes did not end there.
A local NGO got wind of this and the matter finally came to the attention of the police. Brahma, the middleman and the buyer were packed off to jail. Impoverished and desperate, Brahma now faces a long and tough legal battle. Brahma’s story is similar to so many others across India, hardly an encouraging thought as the Republic enters its 74th year.
It is staggering how quickly we forget the pain and suffering of others. Just a few months ago, our media was full of news about millions of migrant workers trudging home on the highways under the scorching sun after they lost their jobs in the cities. Hungry, thirsty, their soles cracked and bleeding, they marched on, clutching their meagre possessions and their children in the hope of finding some succour at home. Those going home included the elderly, the sick and pregnant women, a sight which was heart-rending and, for many of us, an appalling indictment of a system which had failed them. Most of us have only heard about the Partition of 1947. The outward migration when Covid-19 struck seemed like a replay of those terrible days.
Mahatma Gandhi used to refer to these people as (penniless gods). These are the people for whom Gandhi propounded the concept of Ram Rajya. This concept drove the spirit behind our freedom struggle. But what has happened to it today?
Did governments at the Centre and states remain silent spectators during the calamity visited upon us by Covid-19? Not at all. During this period, coffers were opened and, as a result, there was no news of mass starvation despite enormous unemployment. Based on data, our sister publication has done a comparative study. It found that under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Yojana, ~2,000 per month, as an advance quarterly instalment, was deposited into the accounts of millions of people. Free foodgrains were also distributed during this period. However, the same study also found that the urban poor were better off than rural communities. Those in rural areas were more deprived despite free foodgrains and the deposits of ~500 in the Jan Dhan accounts of women.
In another survey, it was found that during the lockdown, people’s income decreased by 84%. When reporters from reached a segment of these citizens, they came across a myriad of problems faced by those in the lower-middle and middle-income groups. Decreased income meant that their savings were depleted since these had to be used for daily expenses. The biggest problem for this class was that their sense of pride and dignity stopped them from standing in queues for free foodgrains. They hesitated from applying for work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), leaving them little choice but to use up their own limited funds.
So, it is little wonder that those who went home to their villages now have no option but to return to the cities, which closed their gates to them in their moment of need. Three years ago, analysed government data which showed that about 70% of farmer families are forced to spend more than they earn. Today, they have to spend twice what they earn. This means they are trapped in an endless cycle of debt. The only industry, if it can be called that, which is thriving, is money lending since it has upped its interest rates in the post-covid-19 period.
With the situation being so dire for so many of our fellow citizens, can we really call ourselves truly independent?
But there is faint glimmer at the end of the dark tunnel. Just before we celebrated Independence Day, a survey found that 58% of Indians believe that we will overcome this economic crisis. History shows us that those who do not lose heart, those who never give up will eventually overcome all the vicissitudes that life throws up. And that should give us some hope.
Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan The views expressed are personal