Migration Crisis - let us check our bias

India has clearly been divided on how the Modi Govt has handled the corona crisis. But the one thing everyone has conveniently missed is the solution, yes the right thing that should have been done. You know like, when we question a stressed-out kid why he did not prepare more to get into IIT and tell him that ‘he should have tried harder’.

Everyone seems to be glazing over it like we were all to blame. Hello?!! How is all of India responsible for a Migration crisis that nobody but the Govts could have at least tried to solve? Who else in India could have possibly done anything for it? The reason nobody wants to offer a solution is that it can scrutinized or ripped open. We are all afraid of being wrong. We are all afraid of what the ‘opposite side’ has to say.

I am going to do it nonetheless. I wont focus on other things like poor testing, lack of PPEs and equipment, meaningless propaganda, food rationing and terrible economic reforms that has come from our excuse for a finance ministry. They speak or will speak for themselves soon enough.

The Migration Crisis

Now, I am a dumb idiot who did not predict that the worker migration would balloon into a crisis. But the govt machinery has data about pretty much everything in terms of movement. Simple stuff like - how many lakhs of people move when there is a holiday? How many special trains were required during Diwali from Chennai to Guwahati? When is the coromandel overloaded so much that TTRs make a killing overnight? When are the rates of buses astronomical in sites like Redbus? When have we seen the most inter-district and inter-state movement? Which situations have required special buses?

I assume the PM/CM have the resources to mine this kind of data. They can pay private companies to get in on this kind of information. If not, literally any relevant company like Airtel, Jio can offer information on user movement/roaming during holiday seasons. This still leaves out people do not move and are practically homeless without their daily wage.

Again - in the worst cases that the Govt completely slipped up on this, the impending crisis was open for all to see. In the south for example - Folks rushing out of Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and other college towns just ahead of the 14 hour lock down. This was a sign of things to come. Modi did the worst thing that could have been done - he announced that the country would be shut down in 4 hours. 4 hours.

So now, folks are supposed to stay wherever they are, however they are, for God(or Modi) knows how long. And they have 4 full hours to decide. Hmmm. To top it, we have people like KCR enforcing their own version of extended lockdowns with added threats, no less.

Yes, common people can be utterly stupid and indifferent to fellow human beings. So much for culture and shit. But that does not mean they are not worth saving.

Solution - Gather data, however insufficient. Then operate the largest movement in world history. Move people from each district, impose very strict rules like one or two bags each, transport them through public buses (or trains) without packing them like sardines. Once they are at state exits/nodal points, move them in a non-staggered fashion. Operate as many buses as required. Lift all inter-state movement bullshit/checkpoints. Ensure that trains do not have to meet each other. Run more frequent long-distance trains. If things get too confusing, operate transport from the richest states first - MH, GJ, TN, KR, TG, AP and Delhi. From each of these states to literally every other state. Run seat-only trains, Run rattling buses. Anything will do. But move people. Let trains and buses move freely. Let them come back empty for the lack of planning. Anything goes. Charge a small fee or absolutely nothing. Make food available(in trains or bus stations) for regular or subsidized amounts. This operation might takes weeks, but we would have been done by now no matter how slow. Yes folks might misuse it. Fine. Let them. Turn a blind eye. After all, it is the tax payer who is paying. Still not OK? Fine. Charge 200 rupees more on all AC Bus and train tickets and 50 rupees more on all Non-AC once the crisis is over till you recover the expenses incurred. Happy now?

If you think this is stupid, you are probably right. But we moved 170000 Indians from Kuwait in 1990(30 years ago) through 488 flights as part of Operation Rahaat. We should have at least attempted.

The good - People have now understood that the Govt cares way less than they thought it did. The PM and state leaders did not even acknowledge this.

The bad - Central and state Govts would have done this if their re-election depended on it. Obviously it doesn’t. You and I know this is true. Lets make it clear that they were wrong and chances of winning the election did depend on it. Of course, not all of them dealt with this crisis in the same way.

The ugly - this can still be done when people return to work(if their businesses are still open that is) but the govt is shamelessly charging people for it. Everyone just wants to be done with this mess and pretend it never happened.

Moral - Propaganda moves mountains and wins elections. Doesn’t move people.

References:

Chief Ministers of India: Here is the list of all 30 https://m.dailyhunt.in/news/india/english/entertales+com-epaper-entale/indian+railways+to+start+trains+from+may+12+for+selected+routes-newsid-n183772230

Covid-19: NITI Aayog CEO says migrant crisis could have been handled much better, but blames states

Covid-19: Tamil Nadu govt operates additional buses to clear extra rush ahead of lockdown | Chennai News - Times of India (Covid-19: Tamil Nadu govt operates additional buses to clear extra rush ahead of lockdown | Chennai News - Times of India)