Dr Pamreihor Khashimwo
As Novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) sweeps across the globe, many concepts are being developed to explain its ferocity. One, commonly circulated within right-wing conspiracy circles, is that it originated as a biological weapon developed at a secrete Chinese military lab in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province that somehow leaked into the civilian population. For now, that theory has been debunked, the US President Trump and his supporters continue to call COVID-19 the “China Virus” the “Wuhan Virus” or even the “Kung Flu,” arguing its world-wide spread was the outcome of an untrained and secretive Chinese government response. However, scientists believe that the virus originated in bats and was transmitted to humans at a Wuhan wet market. But perhaps there is another far more ill-omened probability to consider; that this is one of Mother Nature’s ways of resisting humanity’s battering on her essential systems. All these theories and concepts are different subject matter to analyse and critique.
But COVID-19 is much more than a health crisis. It is a human, economic, and social crisis. The CVOVID-19, which has been characterised as a pandemic by the WHO, is attacking societies at their core and its impact on the Northeast youth (migrants) is yet to be fully assessed. If not properly addressed through policy and social crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic may increase inequality, exclusion, discrimination, and unemployment in the short and longer-term. Across India, hundreds of thousands of Northeast people migrated to the metropolis, since the liberalisation of the Indian economy in the 1990s, to study and work in different universities and sectors. As COVID-19 destroys the economy and absence of jobs, homes, and food loom large; most of the Northeast migrants studying and working across different cities are set to return. This reverse migration, possibly carrying disease can have a devastating impact on our society.
Northeast students/migrants living in various cities in India would likely be disproportionately unemployed, and those who are employed often work in the informal economy or gig economy, on precarious contracts or in the service sectors of the economy, that are likely to be severely affected. Besides, that racism and acts of racial discrimination shall increase once lockdown restrictions are removed. Currently, the people of Northeast living in various cities and towns across the country are facing a problem of a different kind, such as racial discrimination based on their Mongoloid features because of the origin of the virus in Wuhan, China.
Northeast students/migrants across cities are increasingly worried about how they are going to pay their bills as COVID-19 forces businesses to close and costs their jobs. The surge in jobless claims is being fuelled by the growing number of companies that have announced layoffs or shutdowns as they try to weather the economic storm of time. Here are some top hiring trends which will directly or indirectly affect Northeast students/migrants. Job losses and salary cuts are in the high-risk service sector, including airlines, hotels, malls, multiplexes, restaurants, and retailers, where the majority of the Northeast migrants are working.
Aviation Sector
The aviation sector, one of the sectors where many Northeast people work already fleecing with IndiGo announcing a salary cut for its employees. Besides that, GoAir has already retrenched many of its workers and ex-pat pilots. There is extra pressure mounting on the aviation companies and they will be forced to sack more employees. Many companies contemplating salary cuts and a voluntary no-pay leave scheme up to certain management positions. Besides, domestic airlines, the global companies like Singapore Airlines, United Airlines have suspended all their hiring until the least June. Unfortunately, all airlines, including SpiceJet, Vistara, Air India, and others are not too immune to the situation which has unquestionably affected the airlines in the most severe from across the globe. The crisis is indiscriminate, affecting everyone from budget operators to national flag carriers.
Tourism, Travel, and Hospitality Sectors
Indian tourism and hospitality industry are starting at a potential massive job loss. COVID-19 effect is such that it can lead to severe to very severe impact on the travel and tourism sector in India with thousands of jobs being axed. According to the news report, many hotels both luxury and budget in India are running at just 10 per cent of occupancy levels as thousands of people have cancelled their trips. This may further worsen in the times to come at least till the end of this year. The tourism sector has taken a massive hit due to the outbreak and likely to continue for a longer period.
Slowdown in Hiring
According to an industry expert, the overall hiring sentiments are likely to witness with 60-65 percent interviews getting delayed particularly service sectors. Sectors like BFSI (Banking, Financial, Services, and Insurance), retails, and logistics, where a lot of frontline hiring takes place are certain to witness deferment. C-suite hiring has fallen by 50 per cent following the COVID-19 outbreak. According to an executive hiring company, the worst affected has been the hiring of expatriates.
B-School Internship and Final Placements
The summer internship season that would have ideally begun in April has now hit hard amid the COVID-19 scare at some of the top B-Schools. Students of B-schools like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore, FMS Delhi and XLRI Institute of Management have been issued deferred joining date or have been asked to work remotely. Many national and international internship projects stand cancelled with the internship period reduced from 7-8 weeks to 5 weeks now, the report said.
The above list of impacts and reasons is by no means comprehensive, nor do any of this challenge come with easy solutions. The COVID-19 crisis is a mirror of our underlying economic and social fabric. The risks for the Northeast students/migrants are considerable. Without family and friends’ networks and government support, they are more likely to become homeless. Alternatively, they may rely on already overstretching charity organisations, good Samaritans, and government aid. Northeast migrants would likely to have reverse migration, which will have a significant impact on our society.
While adhering to physical distancing and other measures, it is extremely important to strategise and plan to deal post-COVID-19 pandemic remaking socio-economic problems. The leaders, government, community leaders, religious leaders, intellectuals, and every individual must prepare to embrace approaches that can ease further damages to our social fabric and economic burden. To the extent that migration is crucial to our economy and education, reverse migration is also a broader challenge for our society in the longer-term, which pragmatic, humane, and community-minded response is urgently needed. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic inhumanely pushing many Northeast migrants across cities in India to make an unexpected journey home.
Dr Pamreihor Khashimwo is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at University of Delhi.
