Trade unions plan nationwide stir, Opp raps UP CM
The migrant issue took a political turn on Tuesday with Congress, Left, Samajwadi Party as well several trade unions and labour front organisations criticising Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for decreeing that States will have to take his Government’s permission before employing workers from Uttar Pradesh.
Calling this is an “absurd” and unconstitutional “move which encroaches on the right to individual to earn his livelihood wherever he wants within the country, they said the CM’s move was an attempt to divert attention from the plight of the migrant workers.
Except for the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), top labour union such as the INTUC, AITUC, CITU and other outfits are coordinating to launch a countrywide protest and move the court against the proposed decision.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed Yogi’s remark as “unfortunate.”
“I think it’s unfortunate. I think people are first Indian and then they belong to their States. The decision on whether somebody goes to work from Uttar Pradesh to the rest of the country is not the Chief Minister’s. It is of the people of India and the people of Uttar Pradesh,” Rahul said at a video Press conference.
“If a citizen of Uttar Pradesh wants to go and fulfil his dreams in Maharashtra or in Delhi or in Karnataka or anywhere else, he should have the right to do so,” he said.
“It is very unfortunate that the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh views India in such a way. These people are not his personal property. They are not the personal property of Uttar Pradesh. These people are Indian citizens and they have the right to decide what they want to do and they have the right to live the life they want to live,” he added.
Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar in a series of tweets also attacked Yogi Adityanath saying UP was not the private property of his Government.
“UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s move to restrict hiring people of UP is unconstitutional & goes against the right to freedom of movement. Mr Yogi, please note that UP is not the private property of your Govt. The people of UP don’t need your Govt’s permission to work anywhere in India,” Shivakumar tweeted.
Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary also slammed the Yogi Government for proposing such measures to tie the hands of the migrant workers. “This proposed move is “absurd” and “unconstitutional”. The workers are not going abroad that they need to inform the State Government. Within the country they can go anywhere and seek employment anywhere. What the Chief Minister is proposing is “absurd and “unconstitutional,” he said.
A senior functionary at INTUC said a proposed protest against Yogi has been deferred due to the death of senior trade unionist leader Rajendra Singh last week in Jharkhand.
RSS-backed Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has, however, declined to be part of the protest.
“We are taking legal opinions to counter this. It will not be in the interest of labour work force who migrate for bread and butter,” INTUC national secretary Rajiv Arora said.
National secretary of CPI, D Raja termed the Yogi’s statement as highly deplorable and sought his apology.
“As already Covid scare is prevailing in the country and worldwide, the new system of domestic visa for employment will create more chaos and harm the social fabric of the nation. We will protest tooth and nail until he withdraws his comment and apologises,”
Raja told The Pioneer.
The Patna-based Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) chairperson Pushpendra said that the Yogi’s statement shows that he wants control labour.
“Though the ruling regime both at the Centre and the State wants to have full control on migrants labour, they have forgotten the law of land. I think, after failing to woo investors during the last three years, he is trying to give a message to the investors. Come and invest in UP as labour will remain here and afraid to go outside the State due to his diktat,” Puspendra, also an expert on labour and migrants, said.
Rahul Gandhi too said that it is the Government’s responsibility to support them to fulfil their dreams. “It is not our job to say that you belong to me, you cannot go and work in Maharashtra. It’s an absolutely absurd position,” the former Congress chief said.
Shivakumar added Yogi doesn’t understand the basic rules of governance in a democracy. “When it’s convenient for the BJP, it’s One Nation, when it’s not, it’s different states & different people heights of hypocrisy!” he said in another tweet.
