Coronavirus induced lockdown has a powerful impact on the plight of labourers, they are being stranded in different states of India waiting for government facilitation to get them back homes. At least two hundred migrant workers and their families, who had been stranded in the district for three months, on June 3 staged a protest outside the deputy commissioner (DC) Shivdular Singh Dhillon's office in Amritsar, demanding their return to their native places.
"We do not have any accommodation, food or employment. It is difficult for us to continue like this any longer, especially for those with young children," a protesting migrant labourer said.
These hungry and thirsty stranded migrants had been waiting to return home for the last 4-5 days near the Amritsar railway station.
"Now, we have been asked to vacate the area near the railway station as shops have started opening," said a protestor.
Reportedly, the protest started around 9 am. It is being said by the labourers that they will continue to stage protest until they get some assurance from the administration for their return. Of these stranded workers, a larger chunk belongs to Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
On asking protestors about their plight, Vidhya Devi Chauhan said, " Around 50 of us had been working in Beas town before the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Now, we have been sacked. We cannot live here anymore and want to return home."
"For the last four days, we had been living outside the railway station. Some of us had been sleeping without food. There was no toilet facility. We have applied to return home, but have not received any response. Yesterday, some policemen took copies of our Aadhaar cards, but we don’t know when we will be allowed to return to our native places," Chauhan further added.
Rajesh Kumar of Chattisgarh said, “We have been living on the roads. Arranging food and a bath has become difficult for us.”
“For the last four days, we have been told that no trains are available. The lockdown is killing us, not coronavirus,” said a woman cradling her child.
Another agitated protestor said, "Indian government is making efforts to bring back home stranded nationals in the foreign countries but they can't send migrants stranded in one state of India to another."
However, Additional deputy commissioner (ADC-general) Himanshu Aggarwal said the migrant workers had come to the railway station on Tuesday night. "Those who had come to the station before yesterday were sent to shelter homes," said ADC.
"Most of the workers who have gathered outside the DC’s office had been working in brick kilns. They are from Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh. We have asked the owners of the brick kilns to provide the exact number of migrant workers who want to return home," said Aggarwal.
"Earlier, half-empty Shramik trains had run from Amritsar to various states. If we had the details of these migrants labourers, we would have sent them home. Now, these migrants will be shifted to shelters. After ascertaining the total migrants who want to go to their native places we will arrange Sharmik trains for them," concluded ADC.
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