COVID-19 pandemic: A pathbreaking period in history for migrant workers
The Jesuit Conference of India organised a webinar “Accompanying Distress Migrants” on the International Migrants Day, 18 December. Padma Shri Dr Sunitha Krishan, Founder of Prajwala, Shri Shabari Nair, Labour Migration Specialist, ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team (DWT), New Delhi, and Shri Rajiv Khandelwal, Founder and Executive Director, Aajeevika Bureau, Udaipur, were the panelists at the webinar. A report:
With migrant workers, women and children facing greatest exploitation and traumas of the time, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a pathbreaking period in history, said Padma Shri Dr Sunitha Krishan, Founder of Prajwala. She was speaking on the occasion of “International Migrants Day- Accompanying Distressed Migrants”, organised by the Jesuit Conference of India/South Asia. Dr Krishnan said that the pandemic showed a mirror to each one of us on our apathy of migrants and migrant workers, and to acknowledge how important they are to our life. Migrant workers are brough back to cities by flights to work thereby recognising their significance for sustenance of towns and cities.