During the lockdown period, the trade unions all over the country jointly — minus the RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) of course, and severally, wrote to the Union Minister of Labour Santosh Gangwar, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Widespread demonstrations were held. Even social media were full of messages conveying the plight of the workers, both formal and informal. But not only did the central government not pay any heed to all these urgent pleas, but it also continued with its anti-labour policies through the BJP-ruled state governments. The governments of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh actually planned to suspend labour laws for three years in their respective states.

In its second year, the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre has already given enough signals that the plight of India’s working population does not bother it. That it had labour law changes, decimation of public sector and restructuring of the agricultural sector on its agenda was already well known. Centre has been changing tax laws in favour of the rich and fleecing the common people through repeated petrol and diesel price hikes even in PM Modi’s first term. But that did not matter during the Lok Sabha polls of 2019. What mattered was the macho image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with his “yeh ghar Mein ghus ke marta hai” he hits them in their own backyard media-created halo, thanks to 2016 “surgical strike” and 2019 Balakot operations.

But the 24 March 2020 announcement by PM Modi of a nationwide lockdown to combat the coronavirus pandemic, changed all that. The lockdown meant suspending all normal activities, including small businesses, shops, industrial activities, construction work, agricultural work, care and housework by domestic helps, among others. This meant, for crores of people relying on daily wages for food on their plate, that there was no next meal! This meant, for crores of people, that there was no cash at all to pay for anything. All without any warning!

This grim reality unfolded as millions of men, women, children, stripped overnight of their livelihoods and devoid of any cash and food, simply took to walking back to their far-off villages, literally for hundreds of kilometres. The heart-rending pictures of the migrant workers and their families walking on the deserted streets of our cities and national highways were simply unbearable in their anguish and unbelievable in the sheer apathy of the State.

That this was a gigantic failure by the government which neither foresaw the consequences of a single, thoughtless announcement by the Prime Minister, worse than demonetization of 8 November 2016, nor rushed to course-correct after the mammoth problems became evident. The acute lack of planning before imposing a nationwide lockdown with just four hours for everyone to beat the curfew, utterly unaware of the impact of the shutdown for the country’s poor and migrant workers, took many by surprise, even though this was straight out of the Modi playbook. Neither the Union government nor the various State governments were prepared for the staggering humanitarian crisis that ensued with PM Modi’s 8 pm antics, and the crisis aggravated with each passing day. Many died on the way due to sheer exhaustion, lack of medical help or hunger. Or accidents, killed by passing vehicles on the road, or on train tracks.

Conflicting directives by various ministries made matters worse. Some said the migrants should stay put and they’d be taken care of; some said they’d be provided free ration, but they had to have a ration card; some said those evicted by their landlords can take shelter in special camps, but there was no transport to reach those shelters, and conditions in some were worse than hell; many complained that one cannot eat only raw rice or raw wheat, which were being provided at the shelters.

Soon, the States closed their borders, and while migrants were allowed to move from district to district within the state they were in, but not to cross border into another state. Even the judiciary faltered initially, failing to take a stand on what it said was a matter for the governments to decide. After much dilly-dallying leading to much criticism, the Supreme Court, had to finally take a stand and order that the migrant workers be transported to their homes, free of cost. Earlier, the Government had said that buses/trains be provided to them, but the migrant workers would have to pay the fare!

Special trains were announced and cancelled, when large crowds of workers gathered outside the stations and even lathi-charged for being “unruly”! The Government issued advisories for the employers not to terminate any worker and pay them full wages for the period of lockdown, only to withdraw them meekly when challenged by the employers in the Supreme Court! As usual, the apex court is taking the oft-beaten path: not to opine at all, just let the matter linger.

But while all this was playing out ruthlessly in the open, the BJP and their storm-troopers were busy making people clap, bang utensils, light diyas, to “honour” the “corona warriors”, showering them with flowers from helicopters. BJP’s social media factories kept social media flooded with messages extolling the unique Indian cure for coronavirus, the cow urine, how India was doing much better than an advanced country like the USA as far as mortality rate was concerned, all because of the resolute PM.

The right-wing mainstream and social media also doubled down on its usual target – the Muslims – and kept flooding the internet with fake news on how the Tablighi Markaz in Delhi were the culprits behind spreading the disease, even inviting FIRs against the members of the congregation. Consequently, Muslim hawkers were quickly banned from many localities.

Yet, the gala function organized by the BJP, “Namaste Trump” in Ahmedabad when one lakh people, including 6,000 NRI bhakts who flew in from the USA, packed a stadium on 24 February 2020, was not considered irresponsible. And, meanwhile, Delhi Police under Union Home Minister Amit Shah targeted students of JNU and Jamia for the Northeast Delhi “riots“ putting them behind bars under the draconian UAPA.

On the other hand, the workers’ unions moved into action. They pitched in their might to help, feed and transport the migrant workers (the AIBEA, All India Bank Employees Association, being the most notable). They unitedly raised urgent issues such as the crass changes/suspension of labour laws, privatisation, safety of frontline workers engaged in corona prevention through the nationwide campaign on 22 May. Similarly, the employees of the electricity sector raised the issue of the problematic Electricity (Amendment) Bill being against the interests of common consumers through its pan-India demonstrations on 1 June.

On 10-11 June, coal sector workers protested against allowing 100% FDI and commercial mining in coal, while the defense employees raised their voice against the government‘s policy of corporatisation of 41 ordnance factories and conducted a strike ballot which was supported by 99.9% of the employees. They have written to all the Chief Ministers and Members of Parliament, and many of the leaders have responded and supported the workers‘ stand. Even the International Labour Organisation had to respond to the mounting complaints from the unions and write to the Union Government reminding them of various international conventions to which they are a party.

As things become bleak for the Central Government, the same old tack of “Yeh ghar main ghus ke marta hai” was tried without realising that the adversary this time was China. Even the small “Hindu Rashtra”, Nepal, seems to be snapping at their heels.

Thus positions are being taken for the showdown that is bound to come. Even the RSS-affiliated BMS, that has been wavering for the past six years, has requested the joint platform of Central Trade Unions to allow them to join. The CTUs are cautious, lest this be a ploy of the adversary. The 3 July 2020 campaign by the Central Trade Unions is, therefore, expected to send a strong message to the Government that continued neglect of the working people will result in non-cooperation. (IPA Service)