Ensure counsellors, leaders of various faiths visit migrant camps to allay panic: SC to govt

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Centre to make sure trained counsellors and community group leaders of all faiths visit by Wednesday the camps and shelter homes set for migrant labourers across the country.

Taking a serious note of the panic caused among the migrant workers due to fake news, the top court said it expects the media including print, electronic and social to maintain a “strong sense of responsibility” and ensure that "unverified news" with regard to Coronavirus pandemic is not disseminated.

It directed that to check fake news, a daily bulletin system with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic be made active within 24 hours by Government of India through all media avenues including social media and forums to clear the doubts of people.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justice L Nageswara Rao, which took up through video-conferencing two PILs related to the issues of migration of workers, said that, “the anxiety and fear of the migrants should be understood by the Police and other authorities. As directed by the Union of India, they should deal with the migrants in a humane manner”.

“Solicitor General of India states that within 24 hours the Central Government will ensure that trained counsellors and/or community group leaders belonging to all faiths will visit the relief camps/shelter homes and deal with any consternation that the migrants might be going through."

“This shall be done in all the relief camps/shelter homes wherever they are located in the country,” the bench directed, while noting down the submission of solicitor general Tushar Mehta.

The bench said that it is well-known that panic can severely affect the mental health and it has been informed that the Union of India is conscious of the importance of mental health and the need to calm down those, who are in a state of panic.

“Considering the situation, we are of the opinion that the State Governments/ Union Territories should endeavour to engage volunteers along with the police to supervise the welfare activities of the migrants. We expect those concerned to appreciate the trepidation of the poor men, women and children and treat them with kindness,” the bench said, while posting the matter for further hearing on April 7.

It noted the submissions advanced by Mehta who said that information received by control room today at 2.30 AM showed that 21,064 relief camps have been set up by various state governments and union territories where the migrant labourers have been shifted.

"The Solicitor General of India made a statement on instructions that at 11 AM today, there is no person walking on the roads in an attempt to reach his/her home towns/villages," the bench noted.

"According to the status report, 6,66,291 persons have been provided shelters and 22,88,279 persons have been provided food," the bench noted in its order.

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The top court said that the migration of large number of labourers working in the cities was triggered by panic created by fake news that the lockdown would continue for more than three months.

“In particular, we expect the Media (print, electronic or social) to maintain a strong sense of responsibility and ensure that unverified news capable of causing panic is not disseminated,” the bench said.

The top court, however, made it clear that the court does not intend to interfere with the free discussion about the pandemic, but “direct the media refer to and publish the official version about the developments”.

It noted that such panic-driven migration has caused untold suffering to those who believed and acted on such fake news and in fact, some have lost their lives in the process.

“It is therefore not possible for us to overlook this menace of fake news either by electronic, print or social media. Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 provides for punishment to a person who makes or circulates a false alarm or warning as to disaster or its severity or magnitude, leading to panic. Such person shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to one year or with fine”.

“Disobedience to an order promulgated by a public servant would result in punishment under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. An advisory which is in the nature of an order made by the public authority attracts section 188 of the Indian Penal Code,” the bench said.

The top court said, “We trust and expect that all concerned viz., State Governments, Public Authorities and Citizens of this country will faithfully comply with the directives, advisories and orders issued by the Union of India in letter and spirit in the interest of public safety”.

The top court noted the statement of Solicitor General that mass migration has stopped and all the migrant labourers who were on the road have been shifted to relief camps/shelter homes which are set up at various points.

It said that the directions issued by the Union of India and the State Governments and Union Territories to provide all basic amenities like food, drinking water, medicines, etc. to the migrants are to be complied with by the concerned District Collectors and Magistrates.

While referring to the status report and the submissions made by Mehta, the bench said, "We are satisfied with the steps taken by the Union of India for preventing the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) at this stage."

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