COVID-19 lockdown: Migrant workers flood Mumbai streets, say they want to go home
Over 1000 migrants workers rushed to Bandra Central railway station in noon hoping to catch the long distance train to go back their native places.
The migrants were told that the imposed lockdown in wake of coronavirus will be lifted on April 14 and trains will resume services. They came on road by breaking the lockdown and social distancing norms on Tuesday.
The news was circulated among the migrants workers mostly from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar , West Bengal etc that on April 14, 2020, the national lockdown will be lifted and the stranded people will be allowed to go back their home town. The local Marathi news channel ABP Majha also aired such news that the special trains for the Migrant workers. However the channel representatives clarified that the news was carried on the basis of Central railway circular.
The circular reads, “The Jamsandharan special train will be started for the stranded labour. Via video conferencing, the meeting was held and decided to start the special trains for the stranded passengers , migrants workers for unreserved segment. The data of the originating and destination will be collected and the proposal will be submitted,” says the circular signed by the A. Malleswara, Dy chief commercial manager (PM), Central railway.
Baba Siddhiqi, the former Congress MLA whose son Zisshan Siddhiqi is MLA from Bandra East said that they are ready to any quantum of food grains to these migrants but they want to go back to their home town. He requested people who had gathered at the large numbers that arranging the train is not in his hand and told them to extend all help. “If the worked are feeling crammed in small houses , then can shift them at the bigger houses or open makeshift. But they cannot be allowed to travel and roam anywhere . The migrants were insisting going back to home town,” Siddhiqi added.
The police said that they requested these people go back peacefully but they were not in mood to listen any move. “Then we have to use the force to disperse the crowd. Some of the gathered people complained that they are not getting the proper food. They are fed up eating Dal rice every day. Beside, the room are also small so difficult to stay so many people at one time. We are not working so earning. During normal time, even ten people stays in 100 sq ft of room. The five work in day while five in night . Most of them are auto and taxi driver and labours in various firm,” said the local police authority.
Bandra East is very highly populated areas in Mumbai like Dharavi. People stays in slum and the slums are vertical that has minimum three illegal floor. This place engulfed in fire several time due to congestion.
Aditya Thackeray, minister in his father Uddhav Thackeray government said that the migrants are given food and shelter but they want to go back to their home town that demand cannot be completely by the state government. “The similar situation was took place in Surat . We raise this issue with the centre government. The mutual solutions should be brought in by the state and the centre. Maharashtra government is taking care of more than five lakh stranded migrants,” Thackeray tweeted.
Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant that the centre government should consult the state government while taking major step. “There is work to the hand of these labours so they are fed up staying at same place even the situation is sensitive. The migrants are restless , they want to go their home town. Earlier they expected lockdown still April 14 , now it is May 3, 2020. The central government need to be serious about the measures it has been taking ,” Sawant
Another local Congress leader said that some migrants even ready to go walk 500 to 1000 km, but they do want to stay in Mumbai now.."Migrants say they had come in Mumbai for work. If there is no work, they will go back native and work in their native farm and do their daily labour in other people farm. They do not want to sit and eat and stay in Mumbai."