India, May 26 -- India is facing a humanitarian and economic crisis of epic proportions. As a result of the extended lockdown, millions of hungry and penniless migrant labourers are stranded in cities, desperately waiting for a seat on a bus or a train to take them home. Fed up of the endless wait, the "atma nirbhar (self-reliant)" among them decided to take matters into their own hands and began walking back to their hometowns and villages, hundreds of kilometres away.
These workers, who form the backbone of the informal economy of the country, are generally employed in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), restaurants, retail shops, construction sites and other enterprises which shut their doors during the lockdown or are at the b...