38.6c New Delhi, India, Friday, March 29, 2024
Legal Insiders

Lawyers Address Letter to CJI Detailing Ongoing Migrant Worker Crisis; Demand Action From The Apex Court On The Matter

By Tanurag Ghosh      29 May, 2020 06:19 PM      0 Comments
Lawyers Address Letter to CJI Detailing Ongoing Migrant Worker Crisis; Demand Action From The Apex Court On The Matter

In a developing country like India, more than half of the population goes through harsh ordeals to carry out basic tenets of life. The migrant workers, a significant amount of population, are one of the most deprived sections of Indian society. With no property, comfort, or work around their homes, this section of the society consists of people who travel hundreds of miles away from their homes to earn bread for their family. With the onset of a sudden lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these people were practically left hanging by their employers, the society, and even the government. 

In such a problematic scenario, the judiciary was bound to take some action regarding the prevailing crisis. Around 20 prominent lawyers of the Indian legal industry wrote a letter addressed to Chief Justice of India, S.A. Bobde calling out the apex court to take cognizance in the matter. The letter signed by prominent legal practitioners like Prashant Bhushan, Indira Jaising, Kapil Sibbal, Iqbal Chagla, and Anand Grover said:

"We respectfully submit that this institutional deference to statements made on behalf of the Government and the Court's apparent indifference to this enormous humanitarian crisis, would if not rectified immediately, amount to the Court having abdicated its constitutional role and duty to these teeming millions of poor, hungry migrants."

Lawyers like Mohan Katarki, Siddarth Luthra, Santosh Paul, Mahalaxmi Pavani, CU Singh, Vikas Singh, AspiChinoy, Mihir Desai, JanakDwarkadas, Rajani Iyer, Yusuf Muchhala, Rajiv Patil, NavrozSeervai, Gayatri Singh and Sanjay Singhvi also signed the letter.

The letter was highly critical of the government’s handling of the crisis and said that the basic constitutional promises were being denied to these migrants under these circumstances. Therefore, it urged the court to take up its role and justify its position as the protector of the fundamental rights of people. 

Moreover, the letter also stated that the supreme court assumes a greater role in the time of a crisis like this. It also pointed out relevant facts to the situation like how 75 percent of the migrant workers work in the unorganized sector, and an unexpected lockdown deprived them of their jobs almost instantaneously. 

 

The letter also stated that the court took note of the central government’s circular restricting movement of migrant laborers and also accepted that no laborers were on the road for traveling to their homes. 

Due to all these issues, the supreme court took suo-motu cognizance in the matter. A 3-judge bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan directed the Central and the state governments to take measures to provide relief to the workers as there have been 'inadequacies and certain lapses'. The court specified that no travel fee would be charged for these stranded workers, meals would be provided at railway stations and inside trains while traveling, and that no state can prohibit the workers from going home. 

As the lockdown is being lifted in waves with provisions of relief to the general public, the migrant workers stay stranded with the sole objective of going home and spending time with family in these tough circumstances. 



Share this article:



Leave a feedback about this
TRENDING NEWS

arvind-kejriwals-plea-for-interim-release-rejected-by-delhi-high-court
Trending Judiciary
Arvind Kejriwal's plea for interim release rejected by Delhi High Court [Read Order]

Delhi High Court rejects Arvind Kejriwal's plea for interim release in money laundering case related to liquor policy scam, pending ED's response.

28 March, 2024 10:50 AM
youtuber-strings-plea-against-youtube-accounts-suspension-andhra-pradesh-hc-issues-notice-to-centre-google
Trending Top Stories
BREAKING: Youtuber String’s plea against Youtube accounts suspension: Andhra Pradesh HC issues notice to Centre, Google

Andhra Pradesh High Court issues notice to the Centre and Google LLC on Youtube journalist String’s plea against suspension of its accounts by Google (which owns Youtube).

28 March, 2024 11:26 AM

TOP STORIES

delhi-liquor-scam-court-remands-arvind-kejriwal-to-ed-custody-till-march-28-read-remand-application
Trending Judiciary
Delhi liquor scam: Court remands Arvind Kejriwal to ED custody till March 28 [Read Order]

Delhi liquor scam: Arvind Kejriwal remanded to ED custody till March 28. Court grants agency permission for interrogation in liquor policy case.

23 March, 2024 11:53 AM
sc-dismisses-centres-plea-for-review-of-judgment-directing-ed-to-furnish-written-grounds-of-arrest-to-pmla-accused
Trending Judiciary
SC dismisses Centre’s plea for review of judgment directing ED to furnish written grounds of arrest to PMLA accused [Read Order]

Supreme Court dismisses Centre's plea, upholds judgment mandating Enforcement Directorate to provide written grounds of arrest in PMLA cases.

23 March, 2024 03:14 PM
kerala-hc-to-hear-lesbian-couples-plea-against-forced-conversion-therapy-on-april-9
Trending Judiciary
Kerala HC to hear lesbian couple’s plea against forced conversion therapy on April 9

Kerala HC will hear a lesbian couple’s plea highlighting that one of them was subjected to forced conversion therapy.

23 March, 2024 03:30 PM
how-can-people-be-compelled-to-vote-madras-hc-asks
Trending Judiciary
“How can people be compelled to vote? Madras HC asks

“How can people be compelled to vote?”, the Madras HC queried in a plea asking employers in Tamil Nadu to demand proof from employees of having voted on polling day.

23 March, 2024 05:04 PM

ADVERTISEMENT


Join Group

Signup for Our Newsletter

Get Exclusive access to members only content by email