migrants Labour and election manifestos
election manifesto and migrant labours
1 An election manifesto is a public document outlining a political party’s vision, intention, and promises.
2 For the first time, the BJP and Congress have expressed concern for migrants, in their manifestos for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
3 The COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdowns brought attention to migrants and made them visible to the state and policymakers.
4 There are an estimated 600 million internal migrants in India and they contribute significantly to the economy.
The BJP’s manifesto
‘Modi ki Guarantee for Shramik Samman
Under the heading, ‘Modi ki Guarantee for Shramik Samman’, the BJP in its manifesto, two specific promises for internal migrants and others that will indirectly benefit them.
The first is to reach out to migrant workers registered on the e-Shram portal
1 It is due to the lack of documentation and registration that migrants were rendered ‘invisible’.
2 This was a critical contributor to the crisis during and after the lockdowns.
3 After the Supreme Court directed the Central government to build a national database of unorganised workers, the e-Shram portal came into existence in 2021.
4 identifying migrants among registered unorganised workers
More than 295 million workers are registered on the portal so far. Creating a credible database of migrants is a pre-requisite for their meaningful inclusion, but identifying migrants among registered unorganised workers is a significant challenge.
5 issues of e-Shram, such as Aadhaar-seeding and technical and infrastructural problems, have not been addressed.
6 many misconceptions among migrant workers regarding e-Shram:
for instance, some believed that after registration, money would be deposited into their bank accounts. There is still no clarity from the government .
The second is to enhance the Special Train Services for migrant workers
Last year, the Railways Ministry said it was planning to run regular non-AC trains to connect major migration corridors in India. Given the high degree of inter-State migrants, these special trains should run throughout the year and not just seasonally.
periodic review of the National Floor Wages
1 The BJP’s manifesto also ensures a periodic review of the National Floor Wages considering the minimum living standards of workers.
2 This could be effective as most migrant workers are daily wagers. However, critics are concerned that it could push workers further into exploitative conditions.
3 this will creat migration towards the places where wages are higher, as is the case with Kerala now.
social security measures for workers
Sankalp Patra also states that post office savings, accident and life insurance, and social security measures for workers will be implemented using digital technologies.
However, without digital literacy, skills, affordability, and infrastructure, the technology will exacerbate the divide.
The manifesto ignores
women, children, and young migrants who all face unique challenges. In 2021, NITI Aayog had prepared a draft National Migrant Labour Policy, but the manifesto is silent on its implementation.
sustainable village development
The BJP pushes a ‘city-centric development’ approach and is silent on sustainable village development.
This can increase migration to cities. It also promises implementation of ‘One Nation, One Election’, but that may deprive migrant votes.
The Congress’ promises
regulate the employment of migrant
a law to regulate the employment of migrant workers and ensure their fundamental legal rights and social security.
It assures it will
- update ration card holders,
- expand Public Distribution System (PDS) coverage,
- allocate sufficient funds to PDS
- and the Integrated Child Development Service,
- and launch a mid-day meal scheme that would benefit migrants.
- However, it is silent on the portability of PDS.
The party’s promise to increase the wage under MGNREGA
to ₹400 per day and keep the same amount as the national minimum wage is crucial for rural migrants.
The availability of employment in a locality reduces distress out-migration.
urban employment scheme for the urban poor
The party has also promised to launch an urban employment scheme for the urban poor, which could eventually be helpful for urban migrants too.
enforcing the principle of ‘Same Work, Same Wages’
to prevent gender-based discrimination is significant.
night shelters for migrant women
The manifesto focuses on women’s welfare and promises to build sufficient night shelters for migrant women workers and safe and hygienic public toilets for women in towns and cities.
what congress missed
It has also missed the opportunity to identify the range of issues faced by internal migrant workers, including the
- exploitative informal labour market,
- fragmentation,
- and forced labour conditions.
both the parties have overlooked critical
areas such as
- public health inclusion,
- education of migrating children,
- housing,
- water,
- sanitation,
- and legal aid and dispute resolution.
- Only political will can only change the lives of migrants and their families.
SOURCE THE HINDU
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