Lockdown exposed migrants’ exclusion from governance system: Study
While the media gave migrants voice during the lockdown, what became clear nevertheless is their near-total exclusion from local governance systems in the destination states, alongside a near-total blindness by the state to their very existence, says a study.
Kerala is an exception, as the critical role of local panchayats and decentralised decision-making became evident in alleviating the hardships faced by the workers post-lockdown, said the study by the University of East Anglia in the UK in partnership with Indian NGO PRADAN.
Governance in India, including local governance, is entirely place-based, with migrant workers, despite their significant economic contributions, having no say therein.