Relooking Mass Exodus and Socio-Economic Issue of Migrant Workers of Assam, India during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Historically, in Indiathe working class has been treated improperly and looked down with contempt and apathy. Various socio-economic issues concerning migrant workers which accrued due to March 2020 lockdown triggered by COVID-19 pandemic was a clear manifestation of the same. The series of policies and programmes taken up by the Indian Government is only a subterfuge and arrantly contradicts the safeguarding of the socio-economic rights of the migrant workers. Racial discrimination, unavailable to provide even the basic needs (food, shelter and clothing) of the migrant workers tends to violation of human rights norm. In this article the author relates the migrant workersexodus of 2020 as a result of lockdown to some infamous mass exodus of Indian history. It focuses on array of socio-economic crisis that surfaced as a result of Assam’s migrant workers exodus to the native home state and various initiatives taken by the government of Assam, India thereupon. The article also presents the key role played by student’s organisations, NGOs and others in that hour of crisis. In the end highlighting on different existing law for migrants and labourers and its efficacy in India the author came up with some feasible measures as possible solution to the problem.