In his meeting with the chief ministers on Monday, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi for the first time spoke about the crisis of migrant workers that has engulfed the country since the lockdown was imposed. He said that the government had urged the workers to stay where they were, but it was “human nature” to want to go home. But the PM, correctly, flagged two major challenges that will now crop up. The first is for states which the migrant workers have left. As economic activity resumes, there will be a severe shortage of labour in these regions. The second is for the home states, to which workers are returning. These regions, the PM

Acknowledged, did not have enough jobs which is why migration had happened in the first place. They will now have to create opportunities. These states also will have to ensure that the

return of workers does not lead to the spread of the disease, particularly in rural areas. What the PM underlined is a hugely significant moment in the political economy of labour markets in India. There is a view that these are unusual times; and workers who have gone home or

are now returning will eventually come back, given economic compulsions. This may be true. But what is undeniable is that the past month has been a scarring experience for millions of

workers. The relationship between businesses and workers has broken down with the latter resentful about how employers did not provide requisite food and cash to help them tide over the crisis. The relationship between the State and workers has also got undermined with the latter losing faith in the ability of governments to provide them a social safety net at a time of crisis. In this backdrop, all that they feel they can rely on are their families and community networks back home. They may live with less, but getting them back to cities will not be smooth.

There is a clear geographical dimension to this too. 

Answer the following questions from the above passage-

Q1. What prime minister spoke for the first time in his meeting with the chief ministers? 

Q2. What Government had urged to the workers? 

Q3. What are the two major challenges that will now crop up? 

Q4. Why is the challenges the PM underlined is a hugely significant moment in the political economy of labour markets in India? 

Q5. Why in this backdrop, all that workers feel they can only rely on are their families and community networks back home?