Food riots may occur if food is not present for migrant workers: Pronab Sen

'If supply system doesn't come unstuck, if the requirements of people who have no income are not met then food riots are very real possibility,' he said

Former chief statistician Pronab Sen has warned that if food requirements of migrant workers with no income are not fulfilled amid countrywide lockdown, then 'food riot' may be a real possibility.

In an interview toThe Wire, Sen said thatif the coronavirus pandemic spreads in rural areas, containment will be impossible.

In wake of the countrywide lockdown to combat the coronavirus threat, thousands of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states have started returning back to their home states from cities, including Delhi and Mumbai.

"The problem is that if food is not made available (to migrant workers) and this, we have experienced in this country earlier, we had food riots during the times of famine.

"...we could have food riots again if food is not made available. Let's we clear about this," the economist said while replying to a question on impact of the lockdown on India's vulnerable section.

"If supply system doesn't come unstuck, if the requirements of people who have no income are not met then food riots are very real possibility," Sen asserted.

On Friday, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had said thatfrom Saturday the government will be serving lunch and dinner to nearly four lakh people at over 224 night shelters, 325 schools and other locations.

He pointed out that the whole objective of the lockdown was to arrest spread of the coronavirus.

"Now, If we are in a situation when a very large number of population are forced to come together at a very short period of time in order to access food, whether it is cooked meal in rain basera or what they have done in Punjab and uttarakhand which is shops will open only three hours in the morning which is a classic curfew model...you will probably get a higher spread of infection because of this....," Sen observed.

Hit by lockdown, daily wagers, migrants walk for days to reach their homes

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging people to remain indoors while announcing the 21-day countrywide lockdown earlier this week to combat COVID-19, daily wagers and migrants have been hit hard by this move and are trying to return to their native places amid the restrictions in place.

These people have been forced to walk miles on foot due to absence of transport to reach their respective homes and are reeling from hunger and poverty in the national capital due to closure of shops and no work.

Narrating his ordeal, 70-year-old Bhola said, "My feet is sored with blisters. I am not able to walk. I have been walking since last night. I have to walk 190 kilometres more. I do not know how I will be able to do that. There is no option for me."

Another migrant, Ramavtar, who is a painter by profession, broke down after he walked for eight long hours. "I am a part-time worker and I paint houses. As everything is closed, I am left with no choice here. My family is in Bijnor and I want to go back to my home."

The Centre had announced a complete lockdown of the entire country for 21 days to fight COVID-19 on March 22. All road, rail and air services will remain suspended during the lockdown.