SALEM: His namesake was not lucky enough, but he was. Another Murugesan of Adiyanur was part of the group from Kalvarayan hills that went to Andhra Pradesh lured by promise of jobs.While five of his co-workers drowned in a tank in Kadapa, he managed to escape from being caught by Andhra Forest Department officials. He admitted that a group of 70 people from Adiyanur, Kirankadu and nearby hamlets had gone to the neighbouring state.According to Murugesan, some people from Andhra Pradesh visited their village and promised high wages without specifying the nature of work.
“As we had no work in Kalvarayan hills, we agreed, and 70 people went with them. They took us to the forests and asked us to cut trees. When we refused, they stopped giving us food. For four days, we starved.”“While they were taking us in a truck loaded with red sanders, the Forest Department men came from the opposite direction. Fearing for our lives, we jumped from the truck and fled. We had to jump into a lake to escape. Those who died must have drowned while trying to cross the lake,” said Murugesan.
Meanwhile, family members of the five deceased men, suspected to be woodcutters, rushed to Andhra Pradesh on Monday to confirm the identities of the deceased and receive the bodies.
On getting information about drowning, Vazhapadi Inspector Umashankar rushed to Karumandurai hills in the morning and made inquiries with family members of the deceased. The family members said they had gone for work through agents.Police sources told Express that the family members of the deceased were not revealing much. “We could not get enough details to confirm whether they went to cut red sanders,” said a police source.
A large number of workers belonging to backward communities have been migrating to other places for work. Many go to neighbouring states to work in stone quarries, on farms and rigs and as housemaids. Of late, many go to cut trees.With the district administration being criticised for not taking effective steps to stop migrations for illegal jobs, Attur Revenue Division Officer M Selvan said from Tuesday, the enumeration of migrant workers would begin. A task force will be formed and they will make a door-to-door visit.