THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Forty-two-year-old Krishna Khakhlari hailing from Karbi Anglong in Assam was a guest worker in an unorganised sector in the district. Krishna had been toiling hard for more than five years to sustain his family back home comprising his grandmother, wife and three children. He was staying in a rented room in Thiruvallam, along with eight other workers hailing from different states, when his life took a tragic turn.
On June 11, Krishna met with an accident on his way to work and suffered a serious head injury. Though he was rushed to the Medical College Hospital and was under treatment for 10 days, the doctors declared that he was paralysed from waist below. Except for one roommate, Santhosh, a guest worker from Odisha, the rest vacated the place as they weren’t able to adjust with the bedridden Krishna. Due to the lockdown, Krishna and Santhosh were confined to the room without provisions. This is when Abhilash V, assistant labour officer, Thiruvananthapuram, referred Krishna’s case to Don Bosco Veedu Society, an NGO which runs an emergency aid centre for migrant labourers across the state ‘KISMAT’- Kerala Interstate Migrants Alliance for Transformation.
Realising their predicament, KISMAT offered to help. “We realised that all Krishna wanted was to go home. We approached the doctor at Medical College for the confirmation to travel. We then contacted the labour commissioner who assured us that the state government would bear the transportation expenses as he is a guest worker. As there were only connection flights at that time, we nearly dropped the idea. However, an agency in New Delhi agreed to sponsor flight tickets for Krishna and Santhosh. As arrangements were being made, a complete lockdown was announced in the city owing to the spike in cases which disrupted our plans,” said Fr Tony Varghese, director of the Don Bosco Veedu Society.
“For two weeks, everything came to a standstill. After a meeting with the district labour officer, we decided to take him in an ambulance with the government bearing the expenses. On July 21, Krishna began his journey to his homeland along with three fellow travellers including two volunteers from KISMAT,” said Fr Tony.
Arrangements for food and medicine during their journey was made by KISMAT. “We received immense support from the Labour Department, Pallavi from Delhi-based NGO, IndiaCares; Ankita Das from Banjaara Network; Moniram Ronghang, founder of People’s Initiative for Rural Development and others who collaborated to get Krishna back to his family in Assam where he reached two days ago,” said Fr Tony. Arrangements have already been made for the ambulance drivers who will be quarantined once they return.
TIMELY AID
Due to the lockdown, Krishna and Santhosh were confined to the room without provisions. This is when Abhilash V, assistant labour officer, Thiruvananthapuram, referred Krishna’s case to Don Bosco Veedu Society, an NGO which runs an emergency aid centre for migrant labourers across the state. This was the turning point.