Migrants crisis: Govt of India 'appears keen' to supply of cheap labour to industry

Counterview Desk
The Government of India (GoI) continues to be immune to the issues and needs of migrants, the civil rights organization Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha has argued in a statement, underlining, it appears to be acting in such a way that the supply of cheap labour to industries remains intact against their wishes and rights.
Jharkhand is one of the major states from where workers go to “developed” in western and south India states in search of work.
Suggesting GoI’s intention appeared clear when these workers were made to pay for their own rail ticket plus Rs 50 if they wish to return, the statement says, this shows it providing to be “one of the biggest impediments” in ensuring their safe return to villages.

Text:

The sudden lockdown imposed on March 25 brought extreme misery to lakhs of Jharkhandi workers stranded in different places across the country. Most of them have not been paid wages by their companies or contractors. Even for getting ration and food, they had to seek support from one and all. Most of them are living in cramped up spaces, with little or no money and inadequate food supplies.
The central government continues to be immune to their issues and needs. Neither did it provide any income support nor did it ensure their food. The central government also expects these workers to pay for their own ticket fare, as per the order issued on May 2. The railway ministry further announced that travellers would have to pay an additional charge of Rs 50!
The central government is acting as one of the biggest impediments in ensuring the workers’ main demand – to get them back to their villages. After allowing their inter-state movement on April 29, the government shamelessly issued a clarification on May 3 that effectively meant that workers were not allowed to travel back to their states. It seems, the government wants to ensure supply of cheap labour to industries against the wishes and rights of the workers.
There is also lack of clarity at Jharkhand government’s end on how to bring the workers back. Meanwhile, Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha and other civil society groups have been constantly raising the issues of workers on different platforms. In the backdrop of all of this, the Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha puts forth the following demands:

From the central government:

Central government must immediately withdraw both the orders and take full responsibility of inter-state movements of workers, pay travel fare and ensure free travel and food of workers back to their native states. The government should further ensure that private travel operators do not exploit the workers.
Workers must not be forced, in any way, to stay at their workplace against their will.
Workers must get at least the half of minimum wages, as per 7th pay commission recommendations, as an income grant for next three months.
To ensure adequate employment to all the workers in their native states, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) budget must be increased and urban employment guarantee act to be notified.

From the Jharkhand government:

The government must immediately notify a clear protocol for getting the stranded workers back – it must be clearly stated where the workers may register, timeline for movement etc. In addition to online registration, registration through call centre and offline modes through respective state governments must be made available.
For those travelling from neighbouring areas and for intra-state travel, state government must bear the full travel and food expenses.
Rather than extending the lockdown indefinitely, Jharkhand government must test all the workers and isolate, if necessary. Panchayat and grams sabhas should be provided with all facilities and provisions to observe all rules of home quarantine or observed quarantine.
Jharkhand government must provide the grant of Rs 2,000 to all workers, as promised, within a week.
All returning workers must be registered under MGNREGA and adequate number of labour-intensive schemes should be started in all villages. Government must encourage farming and work towards improving irrigation facilities. It must encourage and incentivize cooperative farming and community ownership of land and natural resources amongst the workers.

Comments

Academics urge Azim Premji University to drop FIR against Student Reading Circle

By A Representative A group of academics and civil society members has issued an open letter to the leadership of Azim Premji University expressing concern over the filing of a police complaint that led to an FIR against a student-run reading circle following a recent incident of violence on campus. The signatories state that they hold the university in high regard for its commitment to constitutional values, critical inquiry and ethical public engagement, and argue that it is precisely because of this reputation that the present development is troubling.

Was Netaji forced to alter face, die in obscurity in USSR in 1975? Was he so meek?

By Rajiv Shah This should sound almost hilarious. Not only did Subhas Chandra Bose not die in a plane crash in Taipei, nor was he the mysterious Gumnami Baba who reportedly passed away on 16 September 1985 in Ayodhya, but we are now told that he actually died in 1975—date unknown—“in oblivion” somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Which city? Moscow? No one seems to know.

UAPA action against Telangana activist: Criminalising legitimate democratic activity?

By A Representative The National Investigation Agency's Hyderabad branch has issued notices to more than ten individuals in Telangana in connection with FIR No. RC-04/2025. Those served include activists, former student leaders, civil rights advocates, poets, writers, retired schoolteachers, and local leaders associated with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Indian National Congress.

Asbestos contamination in children’s products highlights global oversight gaps

By A Representative A commentary published by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has drawn attention to the challenges governments face in responding effectively to global public-health risks. In an article written by Laurie Kazan-Allen and published on March 5, 2026, the author examines how the discovery of asbestos contamination in children’s play products has raised questions about regulatory oversight and international product safety. The article opens by reflecting on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that governments in several countries were slow to respond to early warning signs of the crisis. Referring to the experience of the United Kingdom, the author writes that delays in implementing protective measures contributed to “232,112 recorded deaths and over a million people suffering from long Covid.” The commentary uses this example to illustrate what it describes as the dangers of underestimating emerging threats. Attention then turns...

Aligning too closely with U.S., allies, India’s silence on IRIS Dena raises troubling questions

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The reported sinking of the Iranian ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka raises troubling questions about international norms and the credibility of the so-called rule-based order. If indeed the vessel was attacked by the American Navy while returning from a joint exercise in Visakhapatnam, it would represent a serious breach of trust and a violation of the principles that govern such cooperative engagements. Warships participating in these exercises are generally not armed for combat; they are meant to symbolize solidarity and friendship. The incident, therefore, is not only shocking but also deeply ironic.

The kitchen as prison: A feminist elegy for domestic slavery

By Garima Srivastava* Kumar Ambuj stands as one of the most incisive voices in contemporary Hindi poetry. His work, stripped of ornamentation, speaks directly to the lived realities of India’s marginalized—women, the rural poor, and those crushed under invisible forms of violence. His celebrated poem “Women Who Cook” (Khānā Banātī Striyāṃ) is not merely about food preparation; it is a searing indictment of patriarchal domestic structures that reduce women’s existence to endless, unpaid labour.

India’s foreign policy at crossroads: Cost of silence in the face of aggression

By Venkatesh Narayanan, Sandeep Pandey The widely anticipated yet unprovoked attack on Iran on March 1 by the United States and Israel has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters around the world. Reports indicate that the strikes have resulted in significant civilian casualties, including 165 elementary school girls, 20 female volleyball players, and many other civilians.

India’s green energy push faces talent crunch amidst record growth at 16% CAGR

By Jag Jivan* A new study by a top consulting firm has found that India’s cleantech sector is entering a decisive growth phase, with strong policy backing, record capacity additions and surging investor interest, but facing mounting pressure on talent supply and rising compensation costs .

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Search This Blog