December 12, 2023
Samirul Islam’s Zero Hour mention on the lack of a detailed central database of migrant workers and schemes dedicated to them
Mr. Chairman, Sir, the issue of migrant workers is not new in our country. They have been moving from one State to another for better livelihood for hundreds of years. Over time, migration has increased which is not new for a developing country like us. In the words of Rabindranath Thakur, ∗ “The massive crowds walk on different paths in different groups from one point to another for their daily needs.” In various paths, in various groups, people move from one era to another for the daily needs of humans. Thakur depicted the struggles of working people in our country capturing the essence of their struggles. We take pride in the new Parliament House. Even in the construction of this modern building, the sweat and blood of several thousands of workers is intricately woven. However, a broader societal concern arose when the horrifying images of migrant workers came to the forefront during the unprecedented COVID-19 situation. From railway tracks to roads, the nation witnessed the plight of these fellow citizens. Not long ago, 41 workers were trapped in the Silkyara tunnel that collapsed on November 12 in Uttarakhand. After 17 days, they were rescued. They were mostly migrant workers. This is one of the latest examples. I can go on with dozens of such examples highlighting the plight of such people. As per the latest Census data from 2011, there are more than 45 crore inter-State migrants, constituting 38 per cent of the total population. By the end of 2023, the number has probably increased by at least ten per cent. According to the Census data, the highest number of migrant workers is in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Bihar. This is not true that the most unemployed are from West Bengal. Migrant workers from Bengal when they go to other States, they are commonly identified as Bangladeshis as they speak in their mother tongue Bengali. But migrant workers from other States always stay in Bengal peacefully and unharmed. Unfortunately, the nation lacks a concrete database of migrant workers with their details and there are no specific schemes dedicated to that community. I want to refer to West Bengal where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee formed first such body for the welfare of migrant workers and announced a slew of schemes.
