Merely treating the symptoms : Understanding dignity of labour
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: February 20, 2015 -
Treating the symptoms rather than the disease. If not diagnosed judiciously, then the demand to implement the Inner Line Permit System in Manipur may well amount to this.
The example of Nagaland, where the Inner Permit System is in force is an apt example.
Mechanisms are indeed needed to check the inflow of migrants into the State, but it should be obvious to all that no one has deemed it fit to study why Manipur continues to attract numerous migrants every year.
Important to note that while Manipur has not been able to attract any of the big business houses or institutions, it continues to attract a large number of migrant workers.
Not the first time that The Sangai Express has commented on this and it is disturbing to note that while the demand to implement the Inner Line Permit System has reached a crescendo, there is nothing much to show that anyone has seriously studied why Manipur is the destination of numerous migrant workers.
Laws can be made, it can be implemented, but what is needed more is not to create rooms for migrant workers.
A look around should be more than enough to underline the point that is sought to be conveyed here.
With the locals or indigenous people reluctant or in plain words too lazy to take up physical works, migrants or outsiders are sure to come in to fill up the void. The mentality has to change.
More than obvious that the local people or the indigenous population are under the impression that some works lower their dignity and the services of outsiders or migrant workers become indispensable. Hair cutting is one example that immediately comes to mind.
And it goes without saying that a large number of migrant workers have arrived to take up the work of hair cutting.
This despite the fact that unemployment is a big issue but the mentality is such that a large number of these unemployed people prefer to remain unemployed rather than take up any meaningful vocation.
It is not only about hair cutting but also other physically demanding works such as becoming porters or rickshaw drivers.
Pulling hand carts is a job which no local man is ready to take up as there is the misconception that it lowers one’s dignity.
Nothing could be further from the truth. It is this mindset, this attitude that needs to be addressed to, if Manipur is to check the inflow of migrant workers.
Cut to the commercial centres and one will find that most of the salesmen or sales boys are from outside the State.
Not that these are jobs which the local or indigenous people cannot take up, but because of a mindset which is anathema to development.
The attitude of any local man or woman at the shop is also more than enough to drive away budding customers.
Not that everyone should aspire to become a labourer, but to be occupied and to earn one’s earnings is definitely a better option than to laze away one’s time.
Time for all to study and understand why Manipur continues to attract so many migrant workers.
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