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 24th, 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.