Labour

Government’s mismanagement and apathy to blame for crisis

The heart-breaking images of large numbers of Indians, on foot, walking back to their homes hundreds and thousands of kilometres away, sometimes dying midway, brings tears to the eyes and reminds me of the iconic movie “Do Bigha zameen”. The tragic last scene in the movie is where the protagonist played by Balraj Sahni dies pulling a rikshaw. This brings us back to the question, does the government care?

Condemn sudden suspension of all railway and interstate bus transport on March 21 as thoughtless

As many as 7 Indian states have diluted labour laws. The excuse is that the steps have been taken to “boost the economy”. Many more states are expected to follow suit.

While the Bombay high court said this principle cannot be invoked during such extraordinary times, the MHA withdrew its previous order which aligned with the court’s order

Some of the recent observations and comments on the plight of migrants made by various courts come across as harsh

Lack of resources, delay in trains and fear – all have put migrants in worry during the double crisis they face

Along with the communal virus, the caste and class viruses too have had a resurrection under the cover of the Coronavirus 2020. All three do not have a cure, or a vaccine yet.

There was only one train scheduled from Bandra to Bihar, but migrants say they had received information of two more trains going to north India

Moral distancing in times of social distancing