Internally or externally, we would love to migrate.

"Last summer, hundreds of thousands made an arduous journey back to their homes in this district on the India-Nepal border after India announced a stringent lockdown to control the spread of covid-19," wrote Sayantan Bera. The sudden loss of jobs left migrant workers with no income and many died as they walked back to their villages with their children. "According to the Economic Survey 2016-17, the internal remittances contributed more than Rs 1.5 trillion to household incomes in rural India." "Over 79% of workers in India are employed in the informal sector but if one adds up those working without any contract in the formal sector, the number zooms past 90%." Returning back to their villages did not improve their financial condition. "For instance, in northern Bihar where maize is the dominant cash crop, farmers sold their harvest between Rs 900-1200 per quintal last year, a price drop of over 50% compared to 2019 levels, and significantly lower than the state-determined fair price of Rs 1,850 per quintal." Many sold land to start small businesses to augment earning. After September 2020, "real wages of general agricultural labour were down 0.3% from a year earlier, while those of non-agricultural workers were down 1.3%," wrote Prof Himanshu. "When compared to levels two years ago, too, the real wages of general agricultural labourers and non-agricultural labourers declined 0.2% and 0.8% per annum. The extent of distress is evident from the fact that non-agricultural real wages are lower even compared to their level five years ago." Despite the government claiming that special trains (Shramik trains) were free for migrants, "most reports suggest that the ticket fares are higher than usual, as the Railways has imposed an additional Rs 50 on normal sleeper class fares", reported The Wire. States subsidised fares of their people, the Center spent nothing. Even before the pandemic, "As per the World Inequality Database, the share of the top 10% in India's national income was about 56%, much higher than comparable countries like Indonesia (41%), Vietnam (42%), and even China (41%)," wrote Lahoti, Jha and Basole. According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE),  "An average Indian household lost about Rs 25,000 in income (equivalent to slightly more than a month's earnings) in the first six months of the pandemic, as compared to the previous year." "In absolute terms, households in the bottom decile lost Rs 17,585, on average. This is equivalent to losing three months of income for an average bottom 10% household." "Malnutrition in children has risen across India in recent years, sharply reversing hard-won gains, according to the latest government survey," reported BBC. "India's latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS), which shows that children in several states are more undernourished now than they were five years ago, is based on data collected in 2019-20." Which means well before the pandemic. "A new study tracking around 2,800 informal workers during the pandemic found more than two thirds of those employed in February 2020 had lost work during the lockdown and six months later nearly 20% remained unemployed -- indicating that while jobs were regained, employment is below pre-covid levels," reported the Times of India. "For Indians, the road into the United States of America has become clearer," rejoiced the Economic Times. Escape those who can. The rest of us trapped.