Prakash Kamat
Panaji,May 29-The Goa People's Voices COVID-19 Response,a civil society group in Goa on Friday wrote to various authorities in Goa government demanding to make arrangements for ‘Machuara (Fishworkers) Special’ trains/buses to repatriate migrant workers in the fishing sector of Goa.
A memorandum signed by over 125 persons from diverse sections of society, including representatives of fisherfolk organisations, have draw urgent attention of Goa Fisheries Director and other authorities including Goa State Executive Committee headed by Chief Secretary Parimal Rai to the matter of migrant workers in the fishing sector of Goa.
These workers comprise both,workers on fishing boats and in allied fishing sectors, who have continued to work and live on boats and in/around fishing harbours since the announcement of the lockdown on the 24th of March, 2020.
The memorandum further says:
As you are aware, the fishing season on the West Coast of India ends on the 31st of May every year. The monsoon fishing ban comes into force on account of the unsuitable weather conditions of fishing at sea which poses a risk to both property and life. As such, all fishing operations will close, and after securing the boats for the ban period, boat owners/cooperative societies will be clearing the wages and other formalities with the workers. Thus, we estimate that by the 3rd of June, 2020, a majority of the migrant fishworkers will be in need to travel back to their state of residence
As you are also aware, the Ministry of Home Affairs Order No. 40-3/2020-DM-I (A) issued on 29.04.2020 and the clarification to it on 03.05.2020 allowed for the return of migrant workers and requested States/UTs to facilitate the movement of ‘distressed stranded persons’.
We would also like to draw your attention that given the hardships faced by the migrant workers during this movement, the Supreme Court on 26.05.2020 took suo moto cognisance on the matter. In line with this, the Court has issued notices to the Government of India as well as to State/UT governments to respond to the migrant crisis with urgency.
In the light of the above, we would like to highlight the following:
1. Goa’s fishing sector, both the mechanised and the motorised sectors, operate primarily with migrant workers. These workers are employed on fishing boats and in allied fishing activities on land, and undertake seasonal migration from their native states to coastal states for a period of 8 to 9 months per year. In our conversations with different fishing societies and engagements with the sector, we estimate that there are upwards of 6000-8000 migrant workers in the sector who are from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka;
2. During the period of their migration to Goa between the months of August and June, workers reside on fishing boats, or in temporary shelters close to the fishing harbours. Thus the place of residence for the workers is seasonal in nature and therefore temporary. Once the monsoon ban period begins, most of the sector’s workers will be without work/wages and a place of shelter that can guarantee them protection against the monsoon weather conditions.
3. At the start of the monsoon ban period the workers return home. However, given the current situation of the lockdown, the migrant workers will not be able to make the journey to their home states on their own. Since the lockdown was announced on the 24th of March, 2020, workers in the sector nationally, and to an extent in Goa, have been facing immense hardships such as the lack of adequate living conditions, the denial of food and water, the non-payment of wages etc. These conditions have even resulted in the death of a few workers in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Having learnt from the experience of fishworkers who were stranded on the East coast where the monsoon ban had begun on the 15th of April, 2020, we are of the opinion that dedicated efforts are needed so that workers in Goa will not be stranded after the 1st of June, 2020.
Given all of the above, there is a need for an urgent and time-bound intervention from the Department of Fisheries (DoF) in order to facilitate the movement of migrant workers from the fishing sector. Some of these steps involve:
A. Census: As can be seen in the attachments to this letter, Goa has 4 fishing harbours, 5 landing centres and a total of 2847 fishing boats. Currently, there is no official census or registration of migrant workers in the fishing sector and thus there is no information about how many workers seek employment in Goa, where they hail from, where they will be returning to and when they will be undertaking this return journey. In the situation of the lockdown when the administration is already stressed with the existing number of registered migrant workers seeking repatriation, it is important that this information be placed before the different liasioning departments and the public by the DoF. This is to ensure that plans for repatriation are put in place taking into consideration the size and the diversity of this sector of workers; without this plan Goa will not be able to handle the added strain of 6000-8000 workers and will end up subjecting them to severe distress;
B. Repatriation: Until a plan is put in place in line with point A above, directions must also be issued to boat owners associations and cooperative societies as follows:
-Consultations must be undertaken with all workers in their employment, including daily-waged, non-contracted and allied workers, in order to take note of the demands of the workers. We have been informed that boat owners have concerns regarding the next fishing season on account of the lockdown and would like to retain the migrant workers in Goa during the monsoon months. It is solely the right of the migrant worker to choose to return or remain in Goa; however the DoF must ensure that all decisions adhere to the laws of Goa and are free from forms of coercion such as withholding wages or threatening with the loss of employment.
-Until such time that the consultation is complete, and that workers’ voices have been heard, they should not be coerced to leave the fishing harbours and boats. Similarly, wages, food, water, medical attention and adequate housing in view of distancing norms must continue to be provided. To address this, the DoF must set up a helpline that the workers can call and address their grievances;
-The DoF must ensure that all orders from the Central and State authorities are adhered to in the process of repatriating the workers; this includes providing safe and free travel arrangements to all workers.
To this end we would like to suggest the arranging of ‘Machuara Special’ trains such that in consultation with District Collectorates and the Inter-State Nodal Officer so that dedicated attention can be given to the matter;
C. Fare: It has been brought to our notice that workers are paying exorbitantly high fares to make the return journey to their home states. Only last week, 54 migrant fishworkers from Betul and Vasco paid INR 2.3 lacs/bus for a journey from Goa to Andhra Pradesh, that is, Rs. 11000/- approximately per worker. Given the situation of the lockdown, it has to be ensured that workers are not put in a position where they have no option but to pay their fare home. Thus, the DoF must work in conjunction with the inter-state nodal officer, district collectors and cooperative societies to facilitate the return of the workers on Machuara Special trains/government provided buses. All costs associated with the return journeys must be borne by the Government of Goa.
D. Monsoon Ban: The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has via order No. 30035/15/97-Fy-(T-1) Vol.V dated the 25.05.2020 pushed back the onset of the monsoon ban period to the 15th of June, 2020 for the Indian EEZ. This is not acceptable. It MUST be ensured by the DoF that fishing will stop on the 1st of June, 2020 given the prevailing weather and economic conditions in relation to the size of the fishing boats of Goa and the at-sea working conditions. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Goa Observatory has already warned fishing boats from not venturing out to sea until the 4th of June due to rough weather and sea conditions. Thus, given the distressed condition of workers during the pandemic and the weather conditions, allowing boats to operate beyond the 1st of June would place migrant workers in the sector at immense risk of life. The DoF must retain its ban order for Goa’s territorial waters and direct all boat owners and cooperative societies to end fishing on the 1st of June given the extraordinary state of affairs on account of the lockdown.
Signatories include Siddharth ChakravartySebastian Rodrigues, National Council Member, National Platform for Small Scale Fisheries,OIencio Simoes, General Secretary, Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott.(eom)
Panaji,May 29-The Goa People's Voices COVID-19 Response,a civil society group in Goa on Friday wrote to various authorities in Goa government demanding to make arrangements for ‘Machuara (Fishworkers) Special’ trains/buses to repatriate migrant workers in the fishing sector of Goa.
A memorandum signed by over 125 persons from diverse sections of society, including representatives of fisherfolk organisations, have draw urgent attention of Goa Fisheries Director and other authorities including Goa State Executive Committee headed by Chief Secretary Parimal Rai to the matter of migrant workers in the fishing sector of Goa.
These workers comprise both,workers on fishing boats and in allied fishing sectors, who have continued to work and live on boats and in/around fishing harbours since the announcement of the lockdown on the 24th of March, 2020.
The memorandum further says:
As you are aware, the fishing season on the West Coast of India ends on the 31st of May every year. The monsoon fishing ban comes into force on account of the unsuitable weather conditions of fishing at sea which poses a risk to both property and life. As such, all fishing operations will close, and after securing the boats for the ban period, boat owners/cooperative societies will be clearing the wages and other formalities with the workers. Thus, we estimate that by the 3rd of June, 2020, a majority of the migrant fishworkers will be in need to travel back to their state of residence
As you are also aware, the Ministry of Home Affairs Order No. 40-3/2020-DM-I (A) issued on 29.04.2020 and the clarification to it on 03.05.2020 allowed for the return of migrant workers and requested States/UTs to facilitate the movement of ‘distressed stranded persons’.
We would also like to draw your attention that given the hardships faced by the migrant workers during this movement, the Supreme Court on 26.05.2020 took suo moto cognisance on the matter. In line with this, the Court has issued notices to the Government of India as well as to State/UT governments to respond to the migrant crisis with urgency.
In the light of the above, we would like to highlight the following:
1. Goa’s fishing sector, both the mechanised and the motorised sectors, operate primarily with migrant workers. These workers are employed on fishing boats and in allied fishing activities on land, and undertake seasonal migration from their native states to coastal states for a period of 8 to 9 months per year. In our conversations with different fishing societies and engagements with the sector, we estimate that there are upwards of 6000-8000 migrant workers in the sector who are from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka;
2. During the period of their migration to Goa between the months of August and June, workers reside on fishing boats, or in temporary shelters close to the fishing harbours. Thus the place of residence for the workers is seasonal in nature and therefore temporary. Once the monsoon ban period begins, most of the sector’s workers will be without work/wages and a place of shelter that can guarantee them protection against the monsoon weather conditions.
3. At the start of the monsoon ban period the workers return home. However, given the current situation of the lockdown, the migrant workers will not be able to make the journey to their home states on their own. Since the lockdown was announced on the 24th of March, 2020, workers in the sector nationally, and to an extent in Goa, have been facing immense hardships such as the lack of adequate living conditions, the denial of food and water, the non-payment of wages etc. These conditions have even resulted in the death of a few workers in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Having learnt from the experience of fishworkers who were stranded on the East coast where the monsoon ban had begun on the 15th of April, 2020, we are of the opinion that dedicated efforts are needed so that workers in Goa will not be stranded after the 1st of June, 2020.
Given all of the above, there is a need for an urgent and time-bound intervention from the Department of Fisheries (DoF) in order to facilitate the movement of migrant workers from the fishing sector. Some of these steps involve:
A. Census: As can be seen in the attachments to this letter, Goa has 4 fishing harbours, 5 landing centres and a total of 2847 fishing boats. Currently, there is no official census or registration of migrant workers in the fishing sector and thus there is no information about how many workers seek employment in Goa, where they hail from, where they will be returning to and when they will be undertaking this return journey. In the situation of the lockdown when the administration is already stressed with the existing number of registered migrant workers seeking repatriation, it is important that this information be placed before the different liasioning departments and the public by the DoF. This is to ensure that plans for repatriation are put in place taking into consideration the size and the diversity of this sector of workers; without this plan Goa will not be able to handle the added strain of 6000-8000 workers and will end up subjecting them to severe distress;
B. Repatriation: Until a plan is put in place in line with point A above, directions must also be issued to boat owners associations and cooperative societies as follows:
-Consultations must be undertaken with all workers in their employment, including daily-waged, non-contracted and allied workers, in order to take note of the demands of the workers. We have been informed that boat owners have concerns regarding the next fishing season on account of the lockdown and would like to retain the migrant workers in Goa during the monsoon months. It is solely the right of the migrant worker to choose to return or remain in Goa; however the DoF must ensure that all decisions adhere to the laws of Goa and are free from forms of coercion such as withholding wages or threatening with the loss of employment.
-Until such time that the consultation is complete, and that workers’ voices have been heard, they should not be coerced to leave the fishing harbours and boats. Similarly, wages, food, water, medical attention and adequate housing in view of distancing norms must continue to be provided. To address this, the DoF must set up a helpline that the workers can call and address their grievances;
-The DoF must ensure that all orders from the Central and State authorities are adhered to in the process of repatriating the workers; this includes providing safe and free travel arrangements to all workers.
To this end we would like to suggest the arranging of ‘Machuara Special’ trains such that in consultation with District Collectorates and the Inter-State Nodal Officer so that dedicated attention can be given to the matter;
C. Fare: It has been brought to our notice that workers are paying exorbitantly high fares to make the return journey to their home states. Only last week, 54 migrant fishworkers from Betul and Vasco paid INR 2.3 lacs/bus for a journey from Goa to Andhra Pradesh, that is, Rs. 11000/- approximately per worker. Given the situation of the lockdown, it has to be ensured that workers are not put in a position where they have no option but to pay their fare home. Thus, the DoF must work in conjunction with the inter-state nodal officer, district collectors and cooperative societies to facilitate the return of the workers on Machuara Special trains/government provided buses. All costs associated with the return journeys must be borne by the Government of Goa.
D. Monsoon Ban: The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has via order No. 30035/15/97-Fy-(T-1) Vol.V dated the 25.05.2020 pushed back the onset of the monsoon ban period to the 15th of June, 2020 for the Indian EEZ. This is not acceptable. It MUST be ensured by the DoF that fishing will stop on the 1st of June, 2020 given the prevailing weather and economic conditions in relation to the size of the fishing boats of Goa and the at-sea working conditions. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Goa Observatory has already warned fishing boats from not venturing out to sea until the 4th of June due to rough weather and sea conditions. Thus, given the distressed condition of workers during the pandemic and the weather conditions, allowing boats to operate beyond the 1st of June would place migrant workers in the sector at immense risk of life. The DoF must retain its ban order for Goa’s territorial waters and direct all boat owners and cooperative societies to end fishing on the 1st of June given the extraordinary state of affairs on account of the lockdown.
Signatories include Siddharth ChakravartySebastian Rodrigues, National Council Member, National Platform for Small Scale Fisheries,OIencio Simoes, General Secretary, Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott.(eom)
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