About the Lecture

The state of Jharkhand received the maximum number of returning migrant labourers after the pandemic - induced lockdown. Most of them were informal workers and had to deal with loss of income, food shortages and uncertainty about their future. Their journey back home was not comfortable and a large number of these workers suffered from starvation, exhaustion, police brutality, atrocities on women and denial of timely medical care. Later, the state government of Jharkhand began collaborating with civil society organizations on a few systemic interventions to manage the crisis on the ground. The talk discusses some of these constructive efforts and deliberates on the way forward for the migrant workers.

About the Speaker

Johnson Topno works with Phia Foundation as a Regional Head of Programme, Jharkhand. He holds an MBA degree in Rural Management from Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS), Ranchi. He has previously worked as a State Manager for PACS - DFID programme in India. A committed development professional, Johnson has over two decades of experience of working with communities.