Sudarshan Chhotoray, Editor, Migration Watch India talks to the Labour Commissioner, Government of Kerala, Pranabjyoti Nath, to find out the state government tackled the massive influx and out-flux of the labour force in the state amidst COVID-19. Nath, a poet and singer in his heart, he successfully serves the vast workforce without making it lose heart during the pandemics. He hails from Assam, but is not unknown to Odisha. His two Odiya album viz Mana Galicha and Bata chala pathe are quite known. His wife Dr Mamatarani Naik, OAS has written the lyrics for the songs.

Pranabjyoti has served both Kerala and Odisha with distinction. In Kerala, he headed the districts as a collector and in Odisha, he worked as the director, Odisha livelihoods mission and also led the two key departments, Employment and Industries.

Excerpts of a discussion with this award-winning Bureaucrat:-

Q: How you and your team could supervise the huge problem of the migrant labour, which you call as guest workers?

Answer:
I must admit that there was a team work and the political executive, bureaucracy and the common people were on one page that the migrant labour is our guest workers. It is estimated that 4.34 lakh guest workers were hosued in 21556 camps. The government had decided to tackle the issue in a comprehensive manner. During the lock-out months, the stress was not only limited to provide adequate food, but a system was evolved to ensure adequate food, shelter, health requirements, recreational needs and psychological support.
The instructions were given to the building owners where the migrants were residing, that no worker shall be compelled to pay rent for their stay or be evicted during lock -down and to provide them with adequate supply of food and water. Some unrest and dharna occurred in certain places which warranted police action. The situation was made immediately under control and was brought back to normal. The concern of the majority of the migrant workers who protested was to return to their native places. They were advised to stay back in the camps and to wait for our instructions as to the commencement of special trains. The Government machinery acted in convergence to avert untoward incidents.

Q: How did and how soon could you estimate about this dreaded human tragedy awaiting us as a fall out of the lockdown necessitated to contain COVID-19?

Answer:
The outbreak of the pandemic brought Kerala like other states too on high alert. The literal shut down of work and movement of people and transportation hit the business and economic activity. The workers both un-skilled, skilled lost their livelihood. These guest workers, majority being engaged in the unorganized sectors especially in construction, plywood apparel, footwear and fish peeling sectors were to be sheltered in their rented houses or makeshift camps in the vicinity. With the supply line disrupted the shortage of food was forecasted. The possibility of panic among workers due to anxiety was also apprehended. Since, most of these workers were living in groups, the challenge was how to shift them to safe and secure camps where social distancing is adhered to and adequate masks sanitizers, hand-wash could be provided by the state agency.
Initially, the relief camps were organized under a three-tier system: the government run, employer or contractor run and scattered/designated dwelling places with the coordination of Labour, revenue, police, local self-help groups and health departments. This strategy helped in preventing community spread among the guest workers. It may  be noted that none of them contracted the virus while sheltered in camps from March 29 to June 19, when the last day the Shramik Special Train left for their respective home destinations.

Q: Would you like to share the three-pronged strategy, based on which you managed the crisis?

Answer:
As I have stated that the entire system of the governance was on one page. While the chief minister provided the political direction, the chief secretary coordinated all the officials functioning in the state. We undertook identification of stranded migrant workers. It enabled us to know the details about them. The setting up of the control room or war room at the Labour Commissionerate enabled us to deal their respective problems individually as well as collectively. It became the nerve centre where daily report received from districts, distribution of cooked food and related issues were analyzed and help was extended without any delay.
Apart from the provisions of sufficient food, sanitizers, masks, hand wash, we also ensured that adequate recreation facilities including TV, carom board etc., with the help of local self-help groups. The department of civil supplies, district administration, police department and a number of the non-government organizations were giving us help in this task. The 24×7 call centre was in operation deploying multilingual personnel in shifts to address the grievances and to give guidance and health advisory. As many as 36 trained cousellors were also engaged, based on the Supreme Court’s advice provided them psycho-social support.
During May 2 to June 19, Kerala Government successfully helped 3,07,218 guest workers to return safely to their respective native states.

Q: Why Kerala is a favorite destination for both unskilled and skilled workers across the country?

Answer:
The wages in Kerala is much higher than the national average (Rural-450/268, Urban-700/445) which remains the major attraction for the guest workers. The local workforce has always shown affinity towards white collar jobs and aspirations to move to the Gulf-Middle east, Europe, U.S.A, Canada and Australia for greener pastures. There is also another reason for luring people from the eastern states to go to Kerala. They love to eat rice, fish and they find social interaction is quite pleasant in Kerala.

Q: How do you ensure that Migrants Rights are not violated, their entitlements ensured and genuine concerns are addressed or responded?

Answer:
Labour’ being included the concurrent list, Kerala perhaps is the only State in India to create a wide and secure safety net to the workforce, within the legal framework, in line with the corresponding Central legislations. The social security measures for the workforce of Kerala took off in the mid 1960’s itself with the introduction of land reforms, promulgating the policy of ‘Land to the tiller’. The first Labour welfare Board (tripartite-Government ,Employer representatives and Trade Union representatives) was established in the State through the introduction of the Kerala toddy workers welfare fund Act,1969 and Scheme, for the benefit of Toddy tappers across Kerala. Since then the Kerala Legislature has brought forth umpteen number of welfare legislations, setting up separate welfare fund boards such as the Kerala Handloom Workers welfare fund Board, the Kerala Coir Workers welfare Board, Kerala Beedi and Cigar Workers Welfare Board, Kerala Head Load workers welfare Board, Kerala Building and other construction workers welfare board, to name a few. For the Guest workers in particular Kerala has introduced a welfare scheme in 2010 namely the Kerala Migrant workers welfare scheme which provides voluntary registration of the migrant workers with a monthly subscription of Rs. 30/- which entitles them to various benefits such as marriage assistance, children’s educational assistance, accident benefit, death benefit etc. In the year 2017, the Government of Kerala, through the Labour department, have implemented a Scheme namely ‘AAWAZ’ . The registration of migrant workers is being done for providing them with a health assurance(cashless) worth Rs. 25,000/- per year for medical treatment, Rs. 2 lakh assistance to the dependents of  deceased worker, Rs. 15,000-50,000 for the funeral assistance/transportation of corpse to the Native place etc. Now , about 5.09 lakh workers have been registered and availing the said benefits.

Q: Do you believe the Reverse-migration experienced with lot of stigma, plight, sufferings, anxieties attached will turn again to re-migration?

Answer:
The opportunity is still intact as the demand for unskilled semi-skilled labour in the industry sector, agricultural, and manufacturing and service sectors are on the rise. The workers who returned to their native states are sure to come back because their home state will not be offering the work and wage they were already receiving in Kerala. In a situation where an  Employer in Kerala, in medium and small medium sectors is given an option to choose between a local worker and a migrant worker with the same skill set and experience, he would prefer the migrant worker to the local one. I feel, there is no need to recreate the existing scenario of scope of work or opportunity for that matter.

Q: What message do you want to give to the migrant labour, who already have left for home. Will you appeal them to come back?
 
Answer:
The opportunity is still intact as the demand for unskilled semi-skilled labour in the industry sector, agricultural, and manufacturing and service sectors are on the rise. The workers who returned to their native states are sure to come back because their home state will not be offering the work and wage they were already receiving in Kerala. In a situation where an  Employer in Kerala, in medium and small medium sectors is given an option to choose between a local worker and a migrant worker with the same skill set and experience, he would prefer the migrant worker to the local one. I feel, there is no need to recreate the existing scenario of scope of work or opportunity for that matter.

Q: Kerala is known for its migrant economy as millions of Keralites are working in Gulf Countries, how will they have job opportunities if they return from foreign lands, what happens to the internal migrants seeking employment in the state?

Answer:
About a quarter million Malayalees work in the Gulf and middle east put together, who are pumping money to our domestic economy by way of remittance. Those working population in this Covid scenario, had returned in large numbers, majority of them, left jobless. The Government under the aegis of  NORKA is committed to devise a rehabilitation package for the returnees based on their skill resources and vast experience. But the question remains that whether a gulf returnee Malayalee will be willing to work as per the local requirement, or be contended with the opportunity available. He will definitely encounter a conflict between his real self as against the pseudo societal esteem created among his family and community. Here Government with the help of NORKA and agencies such as KASE, START UP MISSION etc can guide him to make the right choice. The returnees skills if rightly tapped and utilized will add to the human resource of the State and add value to the Native community at large. This infusion of returnees in the scope of work will complement the inter-state migrant work force to certain extent; but will not be a substitute or replacement.