Bihar – Challenges & Opportunities
Found a news article in Today’s Economic Times, New Delhi Edition, Titled ‘Facing Labour Shortage, Many Chief Ministers Speed Dial Bihar for Help’.
Some of the developed states like Punjab, Telangana, and Rajasthan including a few others are anticipating a tough time on account of a shortage of Agricultural & Industrial migrant laborers with special emphasis on the state of Bihar, including other states, such as UP, Jharkhand, and Odisha.
The Finance Minister of Punjab called upon the Chief Minister of Bihar. Chief Secretary, Telangana called upon Dy CM, Bihar, and urged them to extend support in bringing back the laborers. Some of them are even committing transportation (Buses) for bringing them back to their state from Bihar. For the Paddy crops, Punjab has complete dependence on migrant laborers, especially from Bihar. According to Chief Secretary, Telangana, who spoke to Dy CM Bihar, 95% of the workers working in various Rice Mills are from Bihar and they aim to procure record paddy from farmers this time. An industrialist from Rajasthan is reaching out to stranded laborers from Bihar in order to woo them for their industrial units, where production is at a halt.
Similar dependence prevails in some other states, too for various Agricultural & Industrial Productions.
Now, we need to think about the kind of ordeal these poor migrant laborers went/going thru this unprecedented Covid-19 Crisis. Due to abrupt & sudden lockdown, they had to leave their respective makeshift homes. They had no money, as the lockdown was implemented virtually at the fag end of the month, they were caught completely unaware. With little or no money, suffering families, waiting & emotionally strained family members back at home, no public transport. They had no option, but to leave in hoards back to home. Some even walked on for 500 KMs with little or no belongings, children, family members, and without food & water. You may just imagine the adversities & sufferings they have gone thru. During very initial days of the lockdown, some of the fortunate made it back to their hometown/villages. Those, who stayed back, in anticipation of Govt. support, had to suffer a lot. We even came to know about the torching of relief camps, lathi charge by Police & some unscrupulous elements. In Delhi, many of the migrant laborers are camping on the banks of the river Yamuna without any support, help, food or medication. Even some of them are unwell including symptoms such as cough, cold, throat infections, symptoms similar to Covid-19. Keep aside medical help/assistance, they are even unable to get a one-time meal during the day. The suffering is enormous, inhumane.
According to some media reports, migrant labourers in search of way out they mistakenly landed up at Pakistan border in Punjab. To some solace, they were supported, counselled and guided by the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel.
Same unfortunate scenario prevails in cities like Mumbai, Surat and some other cities, which are mostly dominated by migrant labourers from the underdeveloped states like Bihar, UP, Jharkhand and Odisha and the sufferings are unprecedented, unparallel, probably never ever witnessed in independent India.
Various Govts. are trying their best to extend support in this tiring time, but the impact is enormous and probably, at his point in time, as a country we have limited resources to meet such unprecedented challenges.
Now, let’s come back to sufferings being faced by the migrant labourers. The kind of uncertainty and sufferings, they have gone thru and are going thru, the Big Question is will they go back to their respective workplaces even after the installation of normalcy. I have a serious doubt. The kind of uncertain time they have gone thru, they might decide otherwise, at least for the time being and may be for next few years, till the imprint of these miseries remains in their memories.
Even if, they are able to get some basic or little livelihood support from their respective state governments, they may think otherwise than to move out different cities in quest of work. Will they ever go back? It all depends upon the livelihood opportunities & support; they are able to get at their respective native states. Looking into the current mindset, it is going to take few years in getting & reinstalling their confidence in the system.
As a result of all these, industries and Agriculture Sector is going to face a tough & threatening time due to shortage of skilled & semi-skilled work force & labourers. Industrial production is going to get seriously affected, cost of industrial production is going to increase. And, surely it will leave a serious impact upon GDP & rate of inflation and many other economic indices, further contributing to the distress.
The industry including the agriculture sector has to think about the viable alternatives, such as creating a structure by which various socio – economic securities & benefits can be extended to the migrant labourers to cope with such unprecedented crisis. Their basic interests needs to be protected, as in most of the cases, they are the sole bread earner of their nuclear families. We have to just think from their basic needs & perspectives, which goes beyond the regular wages and safety of their lives.
For the states like Bihar, the time has come to think beyond the routine. If these laborers are able to build fortunes of Industries & Agricultural Productions in other parts of the country, why can’t they contribute to their native states with some amount of security. Traditionally, Bihar has always been a labour surplus state. In this hour of unprecedented crisis and uncertainty, as a government, the burning question is can we reach out to various industries and assure them to provide some basic support or incentives, if they establish their production units in Bihar. Bihar has a biggest advantage, as of now, probably more than any other similar state. With some political & bureaucratic will ease in prevailing industrial scenario, it has the ability to transform the whole state by creating different livelihood opportunities, thus empowering ailing population, by increasing consumptions & demand.
Bihar origin labourers are considered to be the hardworking, disciplined thus one of the best available lot in the industry. If approached in a systematic & purposeful way (for both the ends), I am sure, under the prevailing circumstances many industry owners may pay a serious attention on the same. Only required is a serious and meaningful approach with a commitment to long term support. The state has little other option but to win back the confidence of industries and potential entrepreneurs, who are looking at ways & means to combat this crisis. We also have to keep in mind, that lately, image of the state is marred by some negative developments on industrial front and it’s not seen as a conducive state, in terms of setting up industrial units & industrialization.
Certainly, this uncertain & unprecedented scenario throws an immense & unparallel opportunity to the state, which has traditionally been seen as a less conducive state in terms of Industrial scenario & infrastructure.
The kind of urgency with respect to the need of the workforce & laborers industry is witnessing, Bihar can surely take a leaf out of it and take to its advantage, consequently contributing largely to the disadvantaged population of the state.