Impact of Nation-Wide Lockdown on Migrant Workers in India

Abstract

COVID-19 has emerged as a crisis that has impacted all spheres of human life especially, has disproportionately impacted the world's poor population in terms of livelihood and survival. In India, the pandemic also has caused a severe impact on the whole economy, especially, on the life of migrant workers and it will leave long-lasting scars on them. The authorities say the lockdown is key to saving lives, but the lack of planning has hit the country's poorest and most vulnerable citizens hard. This study examines the impact of this pandemic and the related nationwide lockdown on millions of migrant workers in India, who seem to have suffered the most during this period. Here, some of the important issues are also discussed regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the migrant population. These impacts are most troubling for low-income households, which are less well positioned to cope with earnings losses during a recession, have no alternative earnings and have no social security available. Most of these workers earn little more than a subsistence wage and have no other means to protect their incomes if they lose their jobs. In this context, this article focuses on the status of migrant workers in India amidst lockdown and strategies that may help to mitigate the situation. This article also endeavours to study the reasons due to which the lockdown in India couldn't prosper as per the prospect and the adverse impact it had on the migrant population, concretely the inter-state migrants. At the same time, it is trying to summarise some key relief measures announced by the government and directives issued by the Supreme Court for the migrant population about the lockdown. In the end, the study also explores the future course of action that can improve migrant workers’ condition, gives recommendations on how to broaden the support for migrant workers nationwide and suggests pathways for recovery and transformation, including opportunities for rural revival, inclusive welfare, and community response.