BJP Govt promotes slavery and bonded labour, cancels trains for migrants

The builders’ lobby in Karnataka persuaded the BJP Government in the state to force migrant workers to stay back and work. The workers had gone without wages during the lockdown and were desperate to go back home to Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and UP.

Karnataka Government had requisitioned 10 trains to send the workers home. But late on Tuesday, South Central Railways were informed that the state government was withdrawing the requisition. “It would be a win-win situation for both workers and builders,” claimed chief minister Yeddyurappa and controversial BJP MP Tejasvi Surya hailed the move as ‘bold’ and ‘necessary’.

Agitated workers in Bengaluru are said to have turned down the offer and demanded payment of their pending wages so that they can leave for home. Unconfirmed reports said that builders have asked them to leave the sites if they refused to work. Police are reported to have beaten up the workers in some places while some of the migrant workers in desperation have started walking.

All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) moved the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday and sought an urgent hearing. The petition points out that the arbitrary decision of the state government is violative of fundamental rights of the workers.

The state government’s decision caused outrage across the country with the state government accused of promoting slavery and bonded labour.

Maitreyi Krishnan, an advocate and member of All India Council of Central Trade Unions in Karnataka said the decision was shocking. “Workers have a right to go home. Article 19(1)(d) guarantees freedom of movement, this was suspended, how long more? Article 23 prohibits forced labour. What Karnataka government is doing on behalf of the real estate lobby is forced labour,” she said.

Reacting to the development, Vinay Sreenivasa, Bengaluru-based lawyer and activist, said, “The poor in this country are only meant to serve the rich. It is disgusting to see the government behave like this.”

Other reactions were equally scathing.

• What happened in Karnataka is the accurate nature of capitalism, which on a bad day is not above using the force of state on workers to reduce them to rank slaves. Only the shamelessness is a new peak.

• It is a free market, the poor are free to die walking because the state will not provide transportation, or work for the builders. That is how coercion happens in real life, and why laissez faire cannot exist. Capitalism cannot exist without the state.

• Not to forget that these workers were stigmatised as 'Corona Bombs' by some sections of the media. Migrant workers are being reduced to India's new reserve army of forced labour. Whatever happened to the constitutional proclamations of freedom and rights for toiling Indians?