As Surat migrants protest, demand to resume MSMEs. Reason? 'Zero Covid-19 case'

Surat migrants' protest

Counterview Desk
Several civil rights and workers’ organizations have made a representation to Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani and chief secretary Anil Mukim on urgent need for exit strategy, especially for migrant workers of Surat, even as hundreds of them have been reportedly protesting, demanding safe passage to their homes.
Home to about 15 lakh migrant labourers, belonging to several states, most notably Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, the city has been witnessing the expressions of restive migrant labourers for some time now, and with the extension of lockdown, things have become particularly become precarious for them.
While the officials claim that they have been feeding around six lakh people per day, with NGOs helping them out by distributing food packets and community kitchens, and arrangements for their shelter have been made, migrants have little faith in the administration, say reports.

Text:

We as concerned individuals/ organisations/ NGOs associated with labourers, poor and marginalised, and civil rights groups engaged with providing relief to the needy, seek your attention towards the following suggestions as part of the exit strategy out of the present challenging situation.
The world is going through the dire times fighting against the deadly Covid-19 virus. The timely decision by the Central Government and the subsequent steps taken in conjunction with the states has ensured to arrest the spread of the deadly virus in our country. Taking stock of the situation and need of the hour the Central Government has announced extension of the lockdown till May 3.
The present health emergency has also resulted in Humanitarian distress. Our economy which was already ailing is also facing a blow from the present situation. We appreciate the efforts put in by the state government, administration, health workers, police department, sanitation workers and the civil society. The cumulative efforts have ensured that we address the issue at various fronts. The state of Gujarat has successfully been able to contain the spread of Covid-19 and ensure health and safety of the citizens.
As the government plans to prepare for the exit strategy from the current situation we would like to put some specific suggestions regarding the humanitarian issues involved with the Working and the marginalised class:

Surat district has about more than 15 lakh migrant workers from states like Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, UP, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, etc. The areas with sizeable migrant population in Surat are safe from the spread of the deadly virus. We have successfully passed about 25 days without any reported cases in the area (14 days incubation period for the virus).
The workers are engaged in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). MSMEs form the economic backbone of the state of Gujarat. The Gujarat government should prioritise opening and functioning of this industries immediately with adequate precautions as prescribed by Health Department. Hence the large population associated with the textile, diamond and other industries can get engaged and employed. This will also help the entrepreneurs.
The needy migrant workers be provided atleast 10 days of ration per person in one tranche immediately (rice, wheat, dal, oil, etc.). This will ensure that they have enough to feed themselves for next 10 days.
A single point functional helpline or WhatsApp number be provided for people to register themselves for the Ration. Announcements regarding this be made in Hindi too. Anyone registering here be responded maximum within next two days with provisions.
Labour unions, NGOs and civil society organisations can be engaged in ensuring smooth implementation and observation of registration and distribution of the provisions.
The government can arrange for transportation after proper screening of people who wish to return to their natives, since there are almost zero cases in the migrant areas. We are yet unable to cover all the population under testing, this can be safely considered. Since the administration and security personnel are engaged in ensuring law and order situation, this will also ensure that their services can be utilised in other areas, at a time when the state is already stressed of human resources.

We hope the state government will positively consider the above important suggestions. This can be replicated in other districts also.
---
*Click HERE for signatories

Comments

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu. He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Gujarat agate worker, who fought against bondage, died of silicosis, won compensation

Raju Parmar By Jagdish Patel* This is about an agate worker of Khambhat in Central Gujarat. Born in a Vankar family, Raju Parmar first visited our weekly OPD clinic in Shakarpur on March 4, 2009. Aged 45 then, he was assigned OPD No 199/03/2009. He was referred to the Cardiac Care Centre, Khambhat, to get chest X-ray free of charge. Accordingly, he got it done and submitted his report. At that time he was working in an agate crushing unit of one Kishan Bhil.

Budget for 2018-19: Ahmedabad authorities "regularly" under-spend allocation

By Mahender Jethmalani* The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC's) General Body (Municipal Board) recently passed the AMC’s annual budget estimates of Rs 6,990 crore for 2018-19. AMC’s revenue expenditure for the next financial year is Rs 3,500 crore and development budget (capital budget) is Rs 3,490 crore.

Licy Bharucha’s pilgrimage into the lives of India’s freedom fighters

By Moin Qazi* Book Review: “Oral History of Indian Freedom Movement”, by Dr Licy Bharucha; Pp240; Rs 300; Published by National Museum of Indian Freedom Movement The Congress has won political freedom, but it has yet to win economic freedom, social and moral freedom. These freedoms are harder than the political, if only because they are constructive, less exciting and not spectacular. — Mahatma Gandhi The opening quote of the book by Mahatma Gandhi sums up the true objective of India’s freedom struggle. It also in essence speaks for the multitudes of brave and courageous individuals who aspired to get themselves jailed for the cause of the country’s freedom. A jail term was a strong testimony and credential of patriotism for them. The book has been written by Dr Licy Bharucha, an academically trained political scientist and a scholar of peace studies and Gandhian studies, who was closely associated throughout her life with those who made the struggle for India’s independence the primar...

Warning bells for India: Tribal exploitation by powerful corporate interests may turn into international issue

By Ashok Shrimali* Warning bells are ringing for India. Even as news drops in from Odisha that Adivasi villages, one after another, are rejecting the top UK-based MNC Vedanta's plea for mining, a recent move by two senior scholars Felix Padel and Samarendra Das suggests the way tribals are being exploited in India by powerful international and national business interests may become an international issue. In fact, one has only to count days when things may be taken up at the United Nations level, with India being pushed to the corner. Padel, it may be recalled, is a major British authority on indigenous peoples across the world, with several scholarly books to his credit.

Covid response? How, gripped by fear and groupthink, scientists 'failed' children

By Bhaskaran Raman* “Today’s children are tomorrow’s future”, “Nurture children’s dreams”, “A child’s smile is sunlight”. These are some cliches, rendered rather uninspiring through repetition and obviousness. However, for nearly 2½ years, society forgot these cliches, children suffered as science failed and groupthink prevailed. Worse, all of this has been swept under the rug.

Search This Blog