India’s Covid-19 Response Prompts Mass Migration

FEATURING FRANCISCO BENCOSME – Among the many poor nations around the world that are especially vulnerable to the Covid-19 crisis, India, the second most populous nation in the world has struggled with competing problems of the coronavirus, mass poverty, and an authoritarian government. On March 24^th, the rightwing Hindu fundamentalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an abrupt lock-down of the entire nation for 3 weeks, with no notice.

Millions of migrant workers who live a hand-to-mouth existence in Indian cities were forced to choose between starvation or catching the deadly virus. Now, the nation is witnessing a deadly mass migration of people to their home villages that has thrown the nation into an even greater crisis.

For more information visit http://www.amnestyindia.org.

Francisco Bencosme, Asia Advocacy Manager with Amnesty International.