As large numbers of migrant workers continue to arrive in villages, experts fear that this sudden influx of workers could not only lead to starvation but also slavery where these workers will be forced to work for a pittance.
“The situation could turn out to be very alarming in the next couple of weeks. The migrant workers are coming back to their villages in hordes. The government is doing its bit by providing them food and work but it is not enough. This could ultimately lead to starvation and subsequently slavery-like situation in the villages,” said Ajeet Singh, Director, Guria, anon-governmental organisation that works for elimination of human trafficking and modern day slavery.
He said that signs of socio-economic changes had started emerging in rural Uttar Pradesh. There are more mouths than food available through government’s channel and more hands than work is available in villages, he added.
“This has resulted in workers losing their bargaining power. They now do not bargain for the wage and are ready to work at lower wage because they know if they lose the work, there are hundreds of others who are ready to lap it up,” Singh told this reporter.
“This is the first sign of modern day slavery creeping in in the rural UP. This slavery or helplessness can even lead to bonded labour-like situation in the state where a worker and his family would be forced to work for a pittance,” he said.
According to a 2016 estimate by Global Slavery Index, there are 45.8 million individuals involved in some form of modern day slavery. Out of these, more than 18 million (highest in the world) people are living in conditions of modern slavery in India
Singh said that the government was providing work through schemes launched under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) but there were more hands now who needed work than the actual work available in villages.
“This is a pathetic situation which can manifest in revolt-like situation,” he said.
Raja Bhaiya, convenor of Vidya Dham Samiti, who works in Bundelkhand area, confirms that revolt is building up in villages.
“In village after village, people in Banda can be seen sitting idle. April was the harvest time and the villagers had some work but now they want work because no work means no payment which could lead to starvation,” he said.
“In some villages, people are ready to start ‘aamaran anshan’ (indefinite hunger strike) because they say that they will die without food and if they stage protest they may stir the conscience of the government and prevent others from dying of hunger,” he said.