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Article

2 Apr 2020

Author:
The New Indian Express

India: UN Chief says migrant worker plight amid lockdown requires "domestic solidarity and unity" among govt and society

"Distressed by the plight of migrant workers: UN human rights chief on India lockdown", 3 April 2020

The UN's human rights chief has expressed concern over the plight of millions of domestic migrants in India during the ongoing 21-day nationwide lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus, and welcomed the subsequent measures announced to address their situation, underscoring the need for "domestic solidarity and unity" to combat the epidemic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a complete lockdown for 21 days on March 24, triggering a mass movement of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers from their place of work in cities to homes in villages across India.

"The lockdown in India represents a massive logistical and implementation challenge given the population size and its density and we all hope the spread of the virus can be checked," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement...in Geneva.

The UN agency stressed that containing COVID-19 in the country, which hosts one-sixth of the world's population, will require effort not only from the government but also the population at large.

The high commissioner encouraged the government to work "shoulder-to-shoulder" with civil society on the response -- including many NGOs who are already providing relief.

...The high commissioner welcomed the Indian Supreme Court's subsequent instruction on March 31 to ensure that migrants are provided enough food, water, beds and supplies as well as psychosocial counselling in make-shift shelters...