HISTORICALLY, WEST BENGAL HAS witnessed the highest rate of migration in the country through its long, porous borders with Bangladesh (2,216.7 kilometres) and Nepal (96 km). Apart from the two major migrations that took place from Bangladesh in 1947 and 1971, there has been a steady and continuous influx of people. Every year, border guards intercept thousands of people trying to enter the country and refugee rehabilitation is a serious concern of the State government. During the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front regime, the State government even set up a separate department for refugee rehabilitation. The current Trinamool Congress government regularised 92 refugee colonies in November 2019.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB)has created a divide among the refugees on religious grounds. This is spreading panic not only among the refugees who have settled in the State for decades but also in the Muslim population which accounts for 27 per cent of the total population (as per the 2011 Census). There is a fear that the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which will inevitably follow the CAB, will make millions of Muslims stateless. The public outcry against the passing of the CAB in both Houses of Parliament has been louder than the relatively muted celebrations among certain “Hindu refugee” communities.
This story is from the January 3, 2020 edition of FRONTLINE.
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This story is from the January 3, 2020 edition of FRONTLINE.
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How Not To Handle An Epidemic
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Tragedy on foot
As the COVID-19-induced lockdown cuts the ground beneath their feet in Tamil Nadu, thousands of migrant workers are trudging along the highway to the relative safety of their upcountry homes.
Sarpanchs as game changers
Odisha manages to keep COVID-19 well under control because of the strong participation of panchayati raj institutions and the community at the grass-roots level under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Scapegoating China
As the COVID-19 death rate spikes and the economy tanks in the United States, Donald Trump and his advisers target China and the World Health Organisation with an eye to winning the forthcoming presidential election.
New worries
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No love lost for labour
Taking advantage of the lockdown and the inability of workers to organise protests, many State governments introduce sweeping changes to labour laws to the detriment of workers on the pretext of reviving production and boosting the economy.
Capital's Malthusian moment
In a world that needs substantial reorienting of production and distribution, Indian capital is resorting to a militant form of moribund neoliberalism to overcome its current crisis. In this pursuit of profit, it is ready and willing to throw into mortal peril millions whom it adjudicates as not worth their means—an admixture of social Darwinism born of capital’s avarice and brutalism spawned by Hindutva. .
Understanding migration
When governments and their plans are found to be blatantly wanting in addressing reverse migration, exercises such as the Ekta Parishad’s survey of migrant workers throughout India can be useful to work out creative long-lasting solutions.
Waiting for Jabalpur moment
The Supreme Court’s role in ensuring executive accountability during the ongoing lockdown leaves much to be desired. Standing in shining contrast is the record of some High Courts.
An empty package
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