Migrant workers return to cities after the coronavirus lockdown was relaxed. (AP file)
According to a report by the International Labor Organization and the Asian Development Bank, 41 lakh of jobs were lost in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- News18.com New Delhi
- Last update: September 14, 2020 6:03 PM IST
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The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Narendra Modi told Parliament on Monday that it has no data available on the number of migrant workers who lost their lives during the 68-day sudden shutdown across the country imposed to stem the spread. of the coronavirus. Since such data does not exist, “it is not a question of giving compensation” to the closest relatives of the victims, the Center added.
In response to a question about whether thousands of migrant workers lost their lives during this period, the Ministry of Labor and Employment, through a written response, said that “such data is not available.” The government also said it had not tracked job losses caused during the pandemic. “That data is not kept,” he said.
According to a report by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), 41 lakh of jobs were lost in the country due to the COVID19 pandemic.
Another World Bank report released in April this year said the national shutdown has impacted the livelihoods of nearly 40 million internal migrants.
Five million salaried people lost their jobs in July this year, said the Center for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE). “17.7 million salaried jobs were lost in April 2020. An additional 0.1 million jobs were lost in May. Then 3.9 million jobs were gained in June. But 5 were lost. million jobs in July, “CMIE data showed. Additionally, 37.5 million students have been off campus.
According to a Save Life Foundation report published in June, 198 migrant workers died in traffic accidents while returning home during the coronavirus shutdown.
More than 1,400 road accidents killed 750 people, including 198 migrant workers, between March 25 and May 31, according to the Save Life Foundation, a charity that works to improve road safety and emergency care in India. .
The migrants lost their lives while walking, biking and riding in trucks and vans in intense heat, as well as in mass crashes involving state-organized buses, he said, blaming speeding and driver fatigue.
Researchers Thejesh GN, Kanika Sharma and Aman state that the number of deaths not caused by viruses was 971 as of July 4, of which more than 200 died from starvation.
By gathering information from news reports, the database compiled by the group, which describes itself as “independent scholars and student volunteers interested in action-oriented research, socio-economic rights and related issues,” shows that large numbers of people have died due to reasons such as traffic accidents returning home, hunger, denial of medical care, police brutality, exhaustion, suicides, all consequences of confinement.
Meanwhile, when asked if the government had not assessed the problems these workers face, the Center said: “India, as a nation, has responded through central government, state governments, local bodies, self-help groups. , resident wellness associations, medical health professionals, sanitation workers, as well as a large number of bona fide and genuine non-governmental organizations in the nation’s fight against the unprecedented human crisis due to the Covid outbreak – 19 and the blockade across the country, including Tamil Nadu. “
The Center added that the Indian Railways operated more than 4,611 Shramik Special trains to help the workers return home. “More than 63.07 lakhs of migrant workers have been transferred to various destinations located in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and other states. Food and water were also provided free of charge to the workers during their trip, ”he said.
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