From The Editor / The Legitimate
On Sunday, the Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu appeared in a special video message and asked the people of Jammu Kashmir to adopt the Standard Operation Procedures to curb the spread of COVID19 in Union Territory.
Murmu said that Kashmir has witnessed the surge in cases of COVID19 in recent times despite the fact it initially succeeded in bringing down the number of cases after Prime Minister Narender Modi asked for the nationwide lockdown.
While his message was being circulated across the sections of society, an amateur video on social media went viral showing hundreds of non local labourers arriving in Kashmir. In the video, the labourers claim that no testing for COVID19 was done and no SOP’s were followed though in Kashmir a ban has been imposed on the transport and opening of markets following the surge in cases of COVID19.
The labour department reports that as many as 10000 migrant labourers have arrived in valley since last one week and the number keeps swelling with every passing day. These labourers arriving from Bihar, West Bengal, and Utter Pradesh during the summer times are working in Kashmir to earn their livelihood and in fall leave for other destinations for economic reasons.
The influx has triggered huge panic among the people of Kashmir. Some even have termed it as a deliberate plot. But the officials on the other side maintain that all SOP’s are being followed before allowing the movement of migrant labourers.
The locals maintain that when the Kashmir is being put under restrictions with no normal activities allowed including public transport, how these bus loads are being allowed to enter the valley. The role of the migrant labourers in Kashmir economy is significant. Unofficial estimates suggest that one million labourers are entering Kashmir every year and contribute to its economy in almost all facets of life. While the season of farming is going on and the COVID19 has this year delayed the arrival of labourers, the UT administration is required to take all the necessary measures to avoid the spread of virus.
These labourers must be quarantined after their arrival and must be tested for the COVID19 before allowing them to move into the human habitations. The majority of these laborers are illiterate and are unable to follow the SOP’s.
But by the virtue of their work, they visit hundreds of families; have interaction with a large number of people, so any laxity on their part may prove catastrophic. But the onus also lies on the people. They must encourage the social distancing and strictly follow SOP’s whenever they interact with them. They must also check with their CVOVID19 tests before allowing them to work in their homes.
At the Panchayat level, their activities must be tracked and not allowed to roam freely as they used to do earlier. While the migrant labourers can’t be ignored in times of need by the people of Kashmir to revive their economy, the measures at administrative and collectively at a societal level can minimize the chances of spreading the COVID19.
