The Wuhan virus pandemic and the ensuing lockdown made several workers working in different parts of the country to return to their home states as some of the employers left them in lurch. With no public transport, some of them had to walk several kilometres to reach their homes. Later, Shramik Special Trains were started to help these people reach their home states.
In light of this, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said that calling these people as ‘migrants’ detaches them from the idea of nationality.
“People going from one state to the other are being called ‘pravasi’ (migrant). Why? This is one country,there is one nationality. A person going from one place to the other in the country isn’t a migrant. If they go outside the country then they are.” CM Nitish Kumar said.
People who have returned from other states do not need to leave because of helplessness. So, arrangements for employment are being made for them. All the concerned departments are working on it: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar (03.06.2020) https://t.co/WQUkH7kH2o
— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2020
He said that irrespective of the fact whether she/he moves around within the country, they are not migrants and added that people who had moved to other states for employment were in great distress since their employers did not take good care of them.
The Chief Minister further said that “people who have returned from other states do not need to leave because of helplessness” and that “arrangements for employment are being done”.