To contain the spread of COVID-19, the government of India invoked the 2005 National Disaster Management Act (NDMA) and, on March 24th, 2020, declared a national lockdown in the larger interest of the nation’s public health and safety. While quarantine is one of the oldest disease control methods in existence and Mr. Kumar agrees, he was concerned about the significant challenges the lockdown would create for members of marginalized communities in India.
Work and employment came to a standstill, stirring economic distress among blue-collar workers. Informal and migrant labourers have been affected most severely, since they had neither sufficient time to prepare, nor proper economic relief beforehand. Tens of thousands of migrant workers have come onto the road, in an attempt to make it back home. “I live in Delhi and have witnessed unprecedented numbers of people- children and elderly alike- walking miles to reach home”, says Mr. Kumar. Many remain stranded far from their homes, without knowing where they are. The sense of desperation, fear and insecurity is palpable- these workers do not have the ability to survive the lockdown on their own.