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Mumbai: The industries minister of Maharashtra, Subhash Desai, has reportedly said that the exodus of migrants in the state during the coronavirus security lock presents an opportunity for Marathi manoos because thousands of jobs will be available. He also said that a meeting would be set up where the youth can register for the employment opportunities.
The Uddhav Thackeray government sees this as a chance to push his long career of ‘sons of the soil” agenda. However this sounds logical, it’s not going to be that simple. In fact, the statement hides the anxiety about the disappearance of tens of thousands, perhaps lakhs of workers of UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and other states.
The Shiv Sena has long fought against the “outsiders” that says take away jobs that could go Maharashtrians (interpreted as Marathi speakers).
The party was created in 1967 on the same platform and began by targeting the ‘south Indians’ – called by many names derogatory, such as lungiwala – and Bal Thackeray, Uddhav’s father, used to publish lists of the telephone directory for the names of the Tamilians and others. Udupi hotels were looted and the companies warned that they should give a strong contingent of the administrative jobs for Maharashtrians.
Government and municipal jobs are open for the locals. In addition, other large employers, such as textile factories, in any case, hired Maharashtrians and jobs are often passed from father to son. However, the closing of factories after the 1982-83 strike, and the limits of government employment meant that many manoos are no possibilities of work.
The migrants wait along the Mumbai-Nashik highway to get to their places of origin, May 19, 2020. Photo: PTI/Mitesh Bhuvad
New objectives
Once more, the anti-outsider rhetoric erupted but now, Muslims became the new target as Thackeray saw the advantages of pushing Hindutva. But, the damage was also on the rise against the Biharis and uttar Bharatiyas. Raj Thackeray, after breaking with the uncle, he began to speak out against ‘the north of India external” and his followers, in seeking to distinguish itself from the Shiv Sena, beat up a couple of taxi drivers and vendors.
When opportunities emerged in the aftermath of the liberalization, there were no takers for anti-migrant propaganda because there were jobs to be had. Suddenly, anti-outsider rhetoric seemed archaic.
But, Maharashtrians, with their improved standards of education, they were only interested in jobs in the government, the banks, the offices or in the fields of creativity, and in the past have shown indifference and even contempt for the working class jobs. Few Marathi manoos wanted to become security guards, taxi drivers, waiters, cooks, sellers of vegetables and, what is more important, the construction workers. Nor do they want to work in the factories of Dharavi, the garment industry, another sector that provides significant employment.
These were occupied by workers from not only Bihar and UP, but also from the Northeast. Most of the security guards outside of the buildings are from the northern states of India, working gruelling shifts and often work other jobs. The fancy restaurants have service personnel from the Northeast. At the lower end, any Udupi restaurant owners to admit that the man flipping dosas in the kitchen is from Jharkhand. Bengali speakers are in the clothing business and construction workers who come from different parts of India. The same goes for the taxi drivers and shop assistants.
Mumbai has little or no manufacturing, and although there are units, large and small, in Pune and beyond, the formation of a large batch of newcomers is going to be a time-consuming process.
In short, with all good intentions, and political backing, it will be a difficult task to replace the large number of migrants who have left and are not likely to return for a long time, if at all. To someone from Bihar, who came all the way to Mumbai, he worked hard for a small salary, and he found his employer to abandon him at a crucial moment (many have not received wages), and then returned on the roads in the sweltering heat, the incentive to return is quite low.
This is going to have a devastating effect on the economy of the state. Uddhav Thackeray may outwardly present this as an opportunity, and may well be, but he knows that it is the migrants who keep Mumbai running. Prominent builders and developers private express fear that their projects will slow down in a big way. The sector is already in a crisis and apartment sales are in the background – if the activity does not pick up again, many companies may not survive.
The other sectors of the informal economy also face a crisis and while, theoretically, Maharashtrian workers may be available, how many of them want those jobs? A restaurant closure here or a locking unit may not make big news, but added, that the amount of the substantial loss of income. In addition, job opportunities will be even more scarce.
People play a game of chess in Dharavi during the coronavirus outbreak of the disease in Mumbai, 10 April 2020. Photo: Reuters/Francisco Mascarenhas
Hard pill to swallow
An output would be to declare that Mumbai is open to all stakeholders and the government would do everything possible to facilitate a transition. There could be ways to help small businesses and small business owners. But this will be a political impossibility and a hard pill for the Shiv Sena to swallow. However sensible it sounds, and although it will be beneficial for the state, the Sena is calculated that the nucleus of his followers would not be able to accept it. This is the dilemma that Uddhav Thackeray – the functioning of a coalition government – faces. The Congress and the NCP also privately to understand the need of migrants to keep the economy going, but will not be able to publicly declare it.
Mumbai has a centuries-long tradition of welcoming migrants. When the East India Company took over the swampy area of the islands that formed Bombay, the officials sent word to Gujarat, welcoming people to come and settle here, assuring them that there would be no attempt to interfere in their traditions or religious activities. Gujaratis, Kutchis, the Muslims and most of all, Parsees, came, first in a trickle, then in waves. Other communities followed. The city is all about coming here with dreams and what it is. Despite the fact that the Shiv Sena hard against the migrants, standing, with those from other states and even countries) have been coming.
Now, many of them are coming out. And they are taking their work, initiative and skills with them. Maharashtrians could certainly fill those jobs, but want to be? The formal economy is likely to see a freeze in hiring and perhaps large-scale layoffs. The choice will be between the informal sector and the creation of companies. It remains to be seen how many Maharashtrians take those opportunities. Mumbai – and the rest of the state – of soon realize how much you need to the much-hated ‘outsiders’.
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