Editorial: An unwelcome reception

The bane of misinformation has assumed alarming proportions in India – going by the developments that transpired in Tamil Nadu over the past few weeks. Migrant workers were swept up in panic as videos purporting to be that of assaults on them by a few miscreants in the State went viral. While the law and order machinery flew into damage control mode to assuage their concerns, a delegation of higher officials from Bihar also dropped in to assure them that things are under control and that there is no need to flee to their hometowns.

The rumour mills worked overtime, alluding to visuals of workers in Chennai getting packed into train compartments like sardines, heading to their native towns prior to Holi, on Monday. What was unmistakable was that the lives of these workers were devoid of social or legal security of any kind. One might recall how lakhs of migrant labourers were rendered jobless overnight, and bore the brunt of the pandemic induced-lockdown when it was first announced in India.

Traversing thousands of miles on foot to reach their native towns, hundreds perished due to the lack of essential food supplies – turning into yet another statistic in a nation that had failed them. It was also the first time India was exposed to the quantum of these workers — an essential component of our socioeconomic fabric.

A PIB report from April 2022 based on the 2011 census, said that there were over 34.87 lakh migrant labourers in Tamil Nadu, and of this 7.13 lakh were women. The State Labour Welfare and Skill Development Minister CV Ganesan said this week that steps have been taken to expedite the enumeration of these workers across districts. He added that currently six lakh migrant workers were employed in Tamil Nadu (10.6 lakh as per a State government survey from 2016). A majority of them fall under the unskilled labour category while 27% work in the manufacturing sector, 14% in the textile industry and 11% in construction.

In fact, recognising the losses that might be incurred in these industries, the relevant stakeholders had sought the government’s intervention to retain the workers within the State. While the steps taken by the governments of both Tamil Nadu and Bihar are commendable, there are pain points putting migrant workers on the backfoot, both within the State and beyond.

The ruling party in TN had promised the people of the State in its election manifesto that once it comes into power, a majority of jobs i.e. 75% of vacancies in the public sector would be reserved for Tamils. An attempt to replicate this measure in the private sector was also promised. A similar story is playing out in Karnataka where the government has introduced a bill for reserving a certain percentage of employment for locals.

The narrative has found resonance among many Tamilians who have expressed their concerns on the number of north Indian candidates appearing for railway recruitment board exams in Chennai, or physical examination tests conducted for the TN special police force.

The issues endemic to inter-State migrant labour cannot be mitigated through labour legislations alone. There are many other issues pertaining to these guest workers including the right to shelter, civic amenities and civic rights. Now, amid the wave of fake news reports pertaining to hate crimes, security of these individuals is also something that needs to be addressed. Sensitive issues like these need to be dealt with a measure of nuance without succumbing to the pull of regionalism and divisive rhetoric.