The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention in stopping the reverse migration of workers amid rising COVID-19 cases in the country.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Central trade union wrote that India had dealt with the first wave of the pandemic in 2020 successfully under Mr. Modi’s leadership, but the “second wave has returned to haunt us and fear has gripped the entire nation once again”.
Lockdown displaces lakhs of migrants
“Sir, the pictures of migrant workers travelling back to their hometowns still haunts India and as the second wave grips India the fear of migration looms large, not only for the workers but the industries as well...It is also worth noting that the state has already used up its resources during the last year and a lockdown in these situations may result into an economic depression we will find it very tough to recover from,” wrote BMS general secretary Binoy Kumar Sinha.
The BMS said the government should enforce guidelines so that industries and workers can continue to function.
“We request you to kindly take a quick call to stop this (reverse) migration as it is already making headlines and provide work for these migrants in places of their stay...We request you to kindly get into dialogue with the state governments and direct them to ensure that (reverse) migration is halted for the upkeep of the faith of workers, life of the industries and growth of the nation as per the forecasts,” the BMS said.
The letter added that the BMS had started an awareness drive for workers about the use of masks, hand sanitisers, and physical distancing, as well as written to industries to follow the guidelines.
