Editorial : Arrest the exodus in Gujarat

Gujarat must rethink the proposal to limit jobs for migrant workers
Following the horrific(भयानक/डरावना) rape of a toddler(बच्चा,) , allegedly(कथित तौर पर) by a migrant(प्रवासी) worker, in Sabarkantha district on

September 28, there has been an exodus out of northern Gujarat of Hindi-speaking migrant workers. There have been incidents(घटनाओं) of “revenge(बदला ) attacks” on them. But while the anger among residents on account of the incident might have been the trigger, there could be much more at play. As in other States, Gujarat is seeing increasing(बढ़ाना/इज़ाफ़ा होना) discontent over the lack of adequate jobs for young people. This is reflected in multiple surveys, including a recent Ipsos-Gates Foundation survey which found that Indians were most worried about unemployment (48%), among the countries covered. The CMIE’s unemployment rate monthly time series shows that 4.6% of those surveyed(सर्वेक्षण) and actively looking for work in Gujarat were not employed in September 2018. This is less than the national average (6.8%), but there has been a relative increase in this number since the previous year in Gujarat. Disquiet(बेचैनी/चिंता) over lack(कमी/अभाव) of job opportunities(अवसरों/मौक़ा) has bubbled up in the demand for limiting jobs for migrants and in resentment(नाराज़गी) against ‘outsiders’. The Gujarat government, under pressure from the Opposition, has promised to make it mandatory(अनिवार्य/आदेशात्मक) for manufacturing(निर्माण) and service sector companies to hire(किराए पर /भाड़ा) 80% of their workforce from the State’s domiciles and to reserve 25% of hires for residents from the location.

Based on data since 2011, the Economic Survey in 2016-17 pointed out that Gujarat is among the States, including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal, with the highest net in-migration of workers. The study also found that States that were relatively(अपेक्षाकृत) better developed than the rest of the country were also host to more migrants. It stands to reason that migrants have played a vital(महत्वपूर्ण) role in greasing the wheels of growth in States like Gujarat by providing(उपलब्ध कराने के) cheap labour in the many small and medium enterprises in the manufacturing and construction(निर्माण) sectors. The fact that industry and commerce associations(संघों) in Gujarat have complained about the flight of migrants, with the festival season looming(उभरते/अस्पष्ट देख पड़ना), reflects(प्रतिबिंबित करना/विचारना) the importance of migrant labour in Gujarat. The State must follow a more holistic(समग्र) policy of creating incentives(प्रोत्साहन राशि/प्रलोभन) for firms leading to greater employment, instead of merely(केवल/सादे तौर पर) dictating higher recruitment of locals. Gujarat is no exception(आपत्ति). Nativist(स्वदेशी भाव) arguments(तर्क) against migrants have been too easily used by political forces in various States, from more developed ones such as Maharashtra to smaller States such as Meghalaya, to address resentment(नाराज़गी/क्रोध) over the paucity(कमी/अभाव) of jobs. This neither serves the interest of the State concerned, considering(ध्यान में रखते हुए) the economic role of migrant labour, nor addresses the issue of ensuring job-oriented growth. Apart from steps to arrest the violence against the migrants and stop the exodus, the Gujarat government must commit itself to a facilitating(आसान कर देना/सुगम बनाना) role for job-creation. 

Important Vocabulary

1.Horrific(भयानक/डरावना)
Synonyms: abominable, appalling, awful, cruel, disgusting
Antonyms: attractive, beautiful, delightful, gentle, good

2.Resentment(नाराज़गी)
Synonyms: acrimony, animosity, animus, annoyance, antagonism
Antonyms: calm, calmness, cheer, comfort, delight

3.Disquiet(बेचैनी/चिंता)
Synonyms: angst, anxiety, ferment, foreboding, nervousness
Antonyms: calm, calmness, contentedness, happiness, peace

4.Toddler(बच्चा
Synonyms: child, infant, kid, youngster, preschooler
Antonyms: developed, grown, grown-up, of age, ripe

5.Relatively(अपेक्षाकृत)
Synonyms: almost, approximately, comparably, comparatively, nearly

6.Looming(उभरते/अस्पष्ट देख पड़ना)
Synonyms: approaching, imminent, impending, appearing, emerging
Antonyms: distant, later, remote

7.Paucity(कमी/अभाव
Synonyms: dearth, insufficiency, smallness, absence, deficiency
Antonyms: sufficiency, abundance, enough, plenty, affluence

8.Exception(आपत्ति)
Synonyms: omission, barring, debarment, exclusion, expulsion
Antonyms: acceptance, allowance, ratification, admittal, admittance