Millions of migrant labourers in India have set off on foot for their villages, sparking a crisis as the country observes a lockdown to cope with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Many are walking hundreds of miles as public transport has been suspended.

The migrant workers form the backbone of the big city economy. They mostly work in informal sectors, as construction labourers on building sites, domestic helpers in housing blocks, or food delivery staff at takeaways. Most live in poor conditions in congested urban ghettos, but they are now expressing fears that they will starve to death as the lockdown has turned them into refugees overnight.

What are their stories of the long journey back to their villages? And what are the measures being taken by the government to help these people? In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss what is happening on the ground and what are the solutions to resolve India’s massive migration crisis.

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Ronnie Screwvala, entrepreneur and founder, Swades Foundation; Chinmay Tumbe, assistant professor of economics, Indian Institute of Management; Bhakti Sharma, head, Barkhedi Abdulla