Every calamity brings in its wake an exodus of Indian expatriates and students from countries where they had chosen to work or study. They want to return to India – they want to get back home. India, with its vast population and its people’s great aspiration to go overseas for income and livelihood, is really a source of labour for countries around the world. At this time, I am making no distinction between the different kinds of people who go abroad but using the generic term ‘labour’ to describe the lot. However, the matter of their repatriation and the duty of the Indian government not just to undertake evacuation but also their subsequent rehabilitation is a daunting task. This has been made even more challenging in the times of a full-blown COVID 19 pandemic because they cannot be sent home as easily as in any other evacuation operation. They would have to be quarantined, tested, treated, looked after and then sent back when they are fit to travel and do not pose a risk to others – all this at a huge risk and cost to India.
This is the equivalent of a ‘migrant labour’ problem of international proportions but far more complicated. Every organ of the Indian state is already stretched to handle the epidemic within the country. Now this additional task will also have to be undertaken and as always, we will do so to the best of our abilities. Just to explain the predicament briefly – by a conservative estimate, we could be looking at more than two hundred thousand evacuees spread around the world across age groups. This is not a small number. It will need a massive effort in terms of immigration, transit of the evacuees by air and sea followed by subsequent rehabilitation and repatriation to their homes. It has been reported that 11 countries have asked India to take back our citizens. One has even issued a deadline for their evacuation failing which it has held out a threat of bilateral relations getting soured. We must never forget such threats when the crisis is over.
Let us broadly list the categories of the people in question. The first are students, many of whom have either not been able to secure a higher education seat in India, several who have the money to afford an expensive education and a relatively smaller number who are genuinely brilliant and seek better research opportunities in universities abroad. Notwithstanding the description of the students, most of them continue to live abroad and service foreign economies on completion of their education. Next we have working professionals who go abroad for the lure of money and a better standard of living. They could be individually brilliant but again they work for the benefit of their country of residence. Then we have the migrant Indian blue collar workforce across the world. They comprise construction workers, paramedics, nurses, domestic workers and employees in small organisations who directly contribute to infrastructure growth and service sectors of foreign economies. Of course, they do send remittances back to India but that is meagre compared to the contribution they make to the countries of employment. The final group comprises tourists who make the most immediate and visible contributions to foreign economies.
When the going gets tough, all these people are immediately rendered ‘unwanted’ at the spread of a virus, a natural calamity or the outbreak of any internal disorder. We have witnessed several occasions in recent years when large-scale evacuation operations had to be undertaken because host countries could not look after our people who were significantly contributing to their well-being and economies. Our nationals also want to get back for their own reasons but what is often left unsaid is that in times of crises, there is clearly a treatment differential between that given to native citizens as compared to the expatriate workforce – second-class treatment without a doubt. This ‘use and throw’ mentality displayed by foreign countries is something which every Indian must recognise and reject by every means at our disposal.
My advice to these countries is “If you do not want Indians in good times and bad, please do not issue visas and work permits to them.” My appeal to all Indians would be “Study in India, work in India, travel in India, help fellow Indians in need and contribute to India’s wealth.” Finally, my suggestion to expatriate Indians is “Return to India. Do not go back to ungrateful destinations. Live with pride in your own country or where your contribution is respected at par with native citizens.”
Subah ka bhoola agar shaam ko ghar aa jaye toh usey bhoola nahi kehtey.
15 Apr 20
Having lived in the Gulf, I can only say that the expatriate Indian community creates tremendous soft power capability for the nation, wherever they are. Whether it be the Gulf, Africa, USA, or even UK, our Indian connection pays much rich dividends, sometimes even more than the diplomats. Whilst admittedly, many of the ones who matter are PIOs and not Indian citizens, the fact is that they value their Indian heritage. This is what gives us leverage when the chips are down. INS Sumitra was able to enter Aden harbour to evacuate Indians in 2015 when all other warships were being fired upon because of the large number of Indians manning important posts within the port. If we refuse to take back our own, what impact will that have on the whole Indian diaspora around the world? And on their connect with the nation?
So we actually do not hv much choice. Whilst we must never forget countries small mindedness when this crisis is over, we must look after our own. Most of our Indian expatriate community are menial labour, but they live with it because the truth is that conditions in our country are worse. Workers in the Gulf know that every penny they save will be theirs because petty corruption is much lesser than here. But most of them are sustaining at least one family at home, that is one less family for the government to worry about.
I fear that the post CoVid world will be far more insular and inward looking. So our six million diaspora may all come home anyway with disastrous consequences. Then we will not hv to worry about evacuations – but our diplomats will have one less string to their bow.
Indeed pertinent thoughts on a very relevant subject in the present day context. The Indian workforce has lent it’s shoulder to the infrastructural development of many countries. However, it’s been a symbiotic arrangement. On one hand the lure of money and the promise of a better quality of life has resulted in our able workforce gravitating to these countries, while on the other, these countries too have immensely benefited from skilled workforce at lesser wages. Sadly, these are only mutually beneficial, fair-weather arrangements. In times of crisis, when one party becomes a liability, the other party conveniently forsakes them. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. To a lesser extent this phenomenon is true within our country too. It’s a microcosm of what’s happening globally. The migrant workforce which had moved to the metros and other urban areas with the aspirations of a better living, are now during the pandemic, feeling forsaken, and desperate to get back to their villages.
We need to formulate a more structured migration and employment policy with inbuilt safeguards for the workforce both at the international and national level. Only this would keep them protected against the ‘use and throw’ approach.
In the longer term, a focused approach towards rural development would facilitate more jobs in the villages and better quality of life, which in turn hopefully should limit migration.
Finally, our young demographic dividend must be viewed as our strength and we should leverage it for nation building like you have mentioned.
You have articulated the thoughts of many in this article. The migrant workforce who have endured untold hardship are the true nation builders. Their easy availability and comparative low wages drives the indian urban economy. I guess we need to seriously introspect on our priorities and responsibilities.
Being in the Navy I was fortunate to live up to the adage ‘join the Navy and see the world’. But whenever some one asked to describe as to which is the best place you liked I always maintained that India is the best place to live. The amount of freedom and ease of life that is available in India is not there is any other country. Foreign lands are good for sometime and especially when you visit them in official capacity but every where you get a feeling in the pit of your stomach that being in India is better. We must strive to get pride back being an Indian and the best in the world
Aptly described. In fact it’s in stark contrast to the hospitality accorded to their citizens who are in our country. There are reports that quite a few US citizens want to stay in India rather than go back to US.
This pandemic has made people realize the worth of the medical community, sanitation workers, police, Indian railways and even the bureaucracy/ district administration as all of them put their best foot forward
As always, very beautifully brought out.
I too look at it very emotionally. My country , work for my country, work in my country etc So much so that hearing me chide my cousins and friends who have left for greener pastures abroad my children and some of my nephews and nieces have rejected opportunities abroad much to their parents chagrin.
Emotions aside sir the practical problem is that we need to generate enough jobs within our country.
The truth is we have a valuable work force both skilled and unskilled and when this will pass there will be a demand too. We can probably pick and choose our destinations well but the lure of money may dictate otherwise.
As a country too we must remember how another country reacted in time of crisis. And in International Relations QPQ is the best norm unless dictated by issues that may not be so ethical.
Finally it will boil down to individual choices. There will be opportunities abroad when this passes and many will want to take the plunge. We must make it worthwhile for our countrymen to be here in India