That builders and property developers of Karnataka are a strong and influential lobby in the political circles is a known fact. That they have been able to now influence the state government decision on sending thousands of labourers back to their home states only drives home the point.

The builders are probably afraid of suffering further losses as their money-minting housing projects will not restart once the national covid lockdown ends if the labourers go back home. So they did what builders do, they went and met Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa. 

The meeting must have gone well for both, because the CM did what the builders wanted and ordered the cancelation of all trains that were set to take the migrant workers to their native home towns. According to a report in The Quint, the trains were set to run from today, May 6. The order was issued and the state government also wrote to the Indian Railways to cancel all scheduled trains. 

Of course, no one asked any representatives of the migrant workers if they even wanted to stay in the state where they had felt stranded without jobs, without adequate food, or shelter, ever since the Covid-19 lockdown was imposed in March. Migrant workers across the nation have been making attempts to return to their native towns and villages, mostly in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, as the cities they have worked in no longer seem livable.

In a recent, exclusive chat with eminent activist and journalist Teesta Setalvad, leading economist and social worker Jean Drèze had raised this issue. His words now seem prophetic as he had said, “While it is possible that the government lets them go back in a staggered and organised manner, there is a possibility of influential people stonewalling this move, fearing loss of readily available labour once the lockdown is lifted.”

This has come true sooner than later, and Karnataka may just be the first of many states to be exposed, even as the national lockdown continues in its second extension. 

As the conditions for the migrant workers did not improve, the Union government had announced special trains to take them back home. This too was controversial as the workers were expected to pay for their own travel. It took one statement from Congress President Sonia Gandhi that her party would foot the bill to send the government into a tizzy and issue one clarification after another. The trains, of course, were to continue.  Though over a thousand workers who left from Bengaluru to return to Uttar Pradesh told The Quint that they “were charged anywhere between Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 for their travel.” 

A day before, the Union Government had claimed on record that this cost will be split between the Central Government (85%) and the state Governments (15%), and the migrant workers would not be charged at all to travel in the special trains started for this purpose. However, many migrant workers claimed that they were asked to pay up when the train tickets were delivered to them.

Even then many migrant workers fear that they may not be able to board a train if they are long term residents of the city they work in. It defies logic how any labourer, long term resident, or temporary worker, can even survive in a city without a job, and without any support from the state they work in.

According to The Quint they have “accessed a letter written by N Manjunath Prasad, nodal officer for inter-state travel from the state, claiming that no more trains are required. Referring to an earlier letter requesting three trains on 6 May, the officer said that the service is no longer necessary.”

The report cites a senior government official confirming that the decision to cancel trains to take migrant workers home was taken after the meeting with the representatives of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (CREDAI). “The official said in the meeting that it was decided migrant workers were needed to revive the state’s economy,” reported the Quint.

In effect, tha Karnataka government is treating the migrant workers as slaves who can be forced to stay and work against their will. To make it sound like a worker-friendly policy the government, perhaps for the first time since the national Covid19 lockdown has “assured” the migrant workers of jobs, and wages. Labour shortage is a bigger concern than labour welfare.

According to a report by Express News Service, the government wants to stop the exodus of migrant labourers because it will “upturn plans to kickstart the economy.”

Karnata government also suspended the Seva Sindhu app, in a bid to retain its workforce, said the report. The app, launched before Lockdown 3.0 has over 5000 registrations, mostly by construction workers. According to the Expres report “associations agreed to pay wages to workers for the entire period of lockdown, and ensure all essential facilities, including safety gear, at workplaces.” It is not clear if the wages were paid on time since March anyway.

Karnataka ministers will also be asked to talk to migrant workers and “convince them to stay back.” CM Yediyurappa was quoted in the report as saying that “Builders have also assured that all facilities, including lodging, food and wages will be given to them.” He asked the workers not to rush back but to stay and resume work. According to TNIE,  9,000 passengers have already been transported via special trains till Tuesday. 

Meanwhile in Goa a twitter user flagged a statement by Manoj Caculo, president of Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industries who has allegedly written to the Goa CM expressing his concern at the shortage of labour that may emerge. 

This is the president of Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industries. Allegedly had written to the Goa CM worrying about the perceived shortage of labour since the leaving migrant labourers won’t return soon. I can’t even. pic.twitter.com/YbvSfKOyc0

— Kaustubh (@shankasur) May 6, 2020

Meanwhile, the Government of Maharashtra has said that it will arrange around 10,000 buses for migrant workers to go back home. They will not be charged for the journey.

राज्यातील विविध जिल्ह्यांत अडकलेल्या लोकांना त्यांच्या गावी सोडण्यासाठी शासनाकडून १० हजार एसटी बसेसमार्फत मोफत सेवा देण्याचा निर्णय. याबाबत सांगताहेत मदत व पुनर्वसन मंत्री @VijayWadettiwar pic.twitter.com/d2OnK7Xce2

— MAHARASHTRA DGIPR (@MahaDGIPR) May 6, 2020

Related:

India must feed its toiling millions
Migrants wanting to return home fleeced
Death, harassment and apathy: The long road home for migrants

The post Does the Karnataka Govt think migrant workers are bonded labourers? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The systematic and ongoing targeting of Muslims, including three incidents of lynching in the last week and one killing by a policeman in Jharkhand, triggered a wave of protests in the social media. Flooded with hashtags like #StopKillingMuslims, #BlackEid, #StopLynchingMuslims and #EidWithBlackArmBand, the campaign called upon Muslims to wear black bands on their arms on Eid Day to protest against what looks like an unrelenting ‘Lynch in India’ menace.

Heeding the call, the brothers of 15-year-old Hafiz Junaid who was murdered by a lynch mob in the outskirts of Delhi last Friday and others from his village Khandawli in Faridabad, Haryana wore black bands on Eid. So did a large number of Muslims elsewhere.

Also read: On Eid ul Fitr, a Poem for the Late 15-Year-Old Hafiz Junaid.

The Indian Express reports: "As Muslims across Mewat observed a ‘black Eid’ to protest the violence against their community members, 23-year-old Irshad joined them with a black band on his arm. Irshad is the son of cattle farmer Pehlu Khan, who was lynched by a mob of alleged cow protection vigilantes in April. Almost two months after his father succumbed to his injuries, Irshad is disappointed that some of the accused are still free. Eid festivities in this region, populated by Meo Muslims, were dampened by the memory of that incident. “Tyauhar ki itni khushi nahi hai jitna in baaton ka gham hai (The joy of the festival has been dampened by the sorrow caused by these incidents),” said Irshad.

The proposed protest was backed by top officials from the Darul Uloom, Nadva, All India Muslim Majlis Mushawarat; Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Jamiatul Ulema Hind, Jamiatul Ulema and prominent Muslims, including retired judges and civil servants, from across India.

Now, documentary film-maker and activist Anand Patwardhan has called upon all citizens to wear black badges for “at least a week”. “By itself the black ribbon is just a piece of cloth… [but] it is also a way to awaken the sleeping who think everything is fine”, reads Patwardhan’s message on Facebook.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Khurshid Alam, a lawyer from Kolkota urges Indian Muslims to go beyond “pointless protests”.

We reproduce below his article first published on Two Circles:

Amidst blaring Bollywood numbers doing a surgical strike through my windows, I am trying to pen down my thoughts on the proposed Black Band Protest against mob-lynching of people in general and Muslims in particular. Agreed, protest is vital to democracy but is there any point in protesting just for the sake of it?

Among those who would be protesting with their black bands on Eid, there will be such anti-socials who extort money from people to decorate the streets with stolen electricity and make the lives of their neighbours hell with loud music for all the three days of Eid and there will also be those good Muslims who choose to remain silent on every social issue of the locality but they will be very content with their Black Band Protest because they believe – “Kuch nahi karne se achcha kam se kam patti lagakar protest zahir to kiya!” (protesting with black bands on arms is better than not doing anything at all).

Quran says, “Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good , enjoining Al-Ma‘roof and forbidding Al-Munkar (all that is bad). And it is they who are the successful.” Our protests lack spirit because we are selective and if not self-centric then at least community-centric or caste-centric or region-centric or ideology-centric. We do not invite to all that is good and neither forbid all that is bad. A life of a Communist or a Sanghi or a Hindu or a Dalit or any human being is as precious as that of a Muslim. In theory, there is no caste system in Islam but in practice there are places where upper caste Muslims don’t hesitate to ruin the lives of low caste Muslims and they cry foul when non-Muslims mistreat them.

Just because some Pratapgarhi or any visionless leader has appealed to Muslims to sport black bands on Eid Day, emotional fools that we are rush to such gimicks. What about the sanctity of Eid? It is human nature to adopt the easy way out. Sporting black band is one of those easy way out. Enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil is obligatory upon all the Ummah, men and women, each according to his or her circumstances.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand [by taking action]; and if he cannot, then with his tongue [by speaking out]; and if he cannot, then with his heart [by feeling that it is wrong] – and that is the weakest of faith.” Why are we satisfied and content with the weakest display of our faith? Let’s not forget that good is the enemy of great. Ghalib has aptly said, “Haq to yeh hai ke haq ada na hua.” (the Truths is that we did not fulfill the rights).

We are in one of the best democracies of the world. Our democracy gives us the options like filing of PILs, complaint to NHRC or SHRCs, representation to the Executives, getting politically conscious of our rights and holding our elected representatives accountable for their breach of duties. Let’s ask ourselves that have we ever tried to change any evil by our actions first or we have limited ourselves to coffee table discussions and black band protests only! In spite of various cases and allegations of corruption in the Judiciary, it is still dispensing justice to the people of India. Why don’t the Muslim organizations include in their long term plans to encourage and support the entry of right minded youth in the Judiciary and Administration of the country? We need much more likes of Zakat Foundation of India.

These pointless protests will not lead us anywhere. The regime which has leased reign of terror will not be moved by our black bands. It has taken them more than 60 years of hardcore preparation to occupy the throne of Delhi and our able leadership should have the vision to prepare such efficient roadmaps to sail us through. In order to follow the teaching of our beloved Prophet to exhibit the highest level of faith, we need to empower ourselves likewise. Black band or No band, Eid Mubarak to all.

Sheikh Khurshid Alam is a Kolkata-based advocate.

This article was first published on Two Circles.

The post Call for all citizens to wear black bands for “at least a week”; Muslims must go beyond “pointless protests”, says lawyer appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Victims, shocked and injured received no response from the Emergency Police and Helpline numbers and have further alleged that the GRP (railway police force) at Ballabgarh railway station stood by and refused to help

India will soon need to develop it’s own Lynch Calendar. Who is killed When in which City. Identities will probably always be Muslim, sometimes Dalit. But the ideological identities of the killer will escape public knowledge. Deliberately.

Three days before Ramzan Eid, on the last Friday of the Holy Month of Ramzan, a Muslim family was attacked in a local train on the outskirts of Delhi, India’s capital leading to the death of Junaid, a 15 year old student and serious stab injuries to his brother 22 year old Shakir. The third brother Hashim was also injured. The men who led the slogan shouting mob attacked them with large knives.

India Today reports that young Junaid was lynched and 3 others brutally thrashed over rumours of beef eating on Delhi-Ballabhgarh train routeThe four had come to Delhi from their village in Haryana for shopping ahead of Eid.

These young men boarded a local train at Delhi around 5 pm for Ballabhgarh, Haryana. Junaid and his younger brother are students in a Madrassa in Surat and were home on their annual visit during Eid. ‘Some men’ who got on at Tughlaqabad started abusing them using filthy communal language. When they protested they were brutally attacked amidst shouting of communal slogans.  Junaid was beaten to death in the train.

Where were the Railway Police?

The four men have been identified as Junaid, Hashim, Shakir Mohsin and Moin of Khandavali village in Ballabgarh. They had boarded a train from Tughlakabad in Delhi. They were later thrown out of the train at Asavati railway station as train left for Mathura. They were taken to Palwal hospital where Junaid was declared brought dead. Shakir and Hashim are still in hospital.  

Mohsin in his statement said that all of them had gone to Delhi for Eid shopping. They boarded a passenger train.  According to Mohsin's statement, soon after they boarded the train some passengers started abusing them. When they resisted, they were beaten up. A huge crowd attacked them.

Two suspects were carrying knives with them and stabbed the four, Mohsin said in his statement. They called police and emergency response number but to no avail. Mohsin further claimed that they tried to pull the chain to stop the train but failed. He also said GRP personnel at Ballabgarh railway station refused to help them when they told them what happened on the train.

‘The mob’ then tried to pull out Shaikr’s beard. He was stabbed in three places The badly injured victims were not allowed to get off at Ballabhgarh. They were literally thrown off the train. Some people later found them and took them to the hospital.

The CPI-M has issues a strong statement condemning the incident stating that ‘this communally motivated crime shows that the BJP-RSS rule is leading to communal mob actions.’ The statement also says that there’ have been earlier incidents of violence against Muslims on trains but Government has not acted to uphold the law of the land, thus directly encouraging the growth of such communal hate crimes.’

CPI(M) Polit Bureau members Brinda Karat and M.P. Md. Salim and DelhiSecretariat member Asha  Sharma met the family in hospital in Delhi this morning. The statement says it all. ‘It is shameful and condemnable that the Government and specifically the Prime Minister and the Home Minister have maintained a deafening silence and not a single officer has been deputed to even visit the family.’

Not only should strict action be taken against the guilty. The CPI-M has demanded adequate compensation for the family. It calls for strong protest actions against such
communally motivated crimes, especially in public spaces.
 
 
 

The post Cow Vigilantes Strike in Delhi’s Outskirts: Bloody Eid for Young Junaid, Bros Out for Eid Shopping appeared first on SabrangIndia.