The external affairs ministry has stated that an estimated 20 Indians remain in Russia after having been recruited to work for the Russian army by an Indian agent. Some of these men have been forced to fight in the war against Ukraine; one such person hailing from Gujarat died during an assault by Ukraine. Others have complained about not being paid the sum promised, among other troubles. New Delhi has stated that it is coordinating with the Indian embassy to get these workers to safety. The grinding conflict — the location of some of the Indians remains hazy — would undoubtedly make the task of retrieving them difficult. Indeed, some of them may not even want to return. It must be noted that over 18,000 Indians employed as caregivers chose to stay back in Israel despite Hamas’ attack on October 7. This goes to show that Indian workers often prefer hazardous employment conditions abroad to returning home. This difficult choice must be attributed to the lack of jobs for the youth in India, one of the enduring legacies of Narendra Modi’s regime. Indeed, thousands of young men — masons, painters, electricians, even farmers — turned up for a recruitment drive in Haryana for jobs in Israel in spite of the ongoing offensive in Gaza. Despite the denials on the part of Mr Modi’s government, the fact that India’s growth story is underpinned by massive concerns of unemployment and underemployment among the youth
is borne out by Indians opting to risk lives for livelihood abroad.

Adequate job creation for the youth should be the principal priority of the new government after the polls. But that will not be the only challenge in this context. What would be equally important is the establishment of comprehensive protocols so that Indians choosing to travel abroad for employment remain within the arc of protection. A thorough review of the credentials of recruitment agencies and agents — many of these are shadowy operatives — along with a reappraisal of the list of ‘Emigration Check Required nations’ may be the need of the hour. The emigration of labour — bona fide or otherwise — is a subcontinental phenomenon. Hence, there is a case for New Delhi to formulate a template with its immediate neighbours to flesh out a coordinated approach towards curbing transgressions. The willingness to act unitedly on the matter could open up new, unforeseen opportunities of diplomatic cohesion among the subcontinental countries.