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Fear of Covid & another lockdown pushes migrant workers to start the journey home again

Last year's lockdown left migrant workers stranded without livelihood or the means to return home. They are eager to avoid the same fate this time.

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Ahmedabad: Migrant workers are worried again, and it’s not just due to the alarming spike in Covid-19 cases across the country. The trauma of last year’s lockdown is still fresh in their minds, and so deep-set is their fear of a return to that condition of misery — when they were left without livelihood in the city or any means of returning home — that they have already begun the journey to their native places, even before the government has announced a lockdown.

Hundreds of migrant workers have gathered in Ahmedabad, even as the number of Covid cases spiral in Gujarat, and a sense of urgency and anxiety is palpable at the railway station. They say the state government and their employers had turned a deaf ear to their woes last year.

Among those heading back is 17-year-old Seema Khosle, who hails from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, who is travelling with her father and 14-year-old sister. The trio work in a brick kiln in the city and earn Rs 500-600 for every 1,000 bricks they make.

“We are afraid that we will get stuck here if we stay and a lockdown is announced,” said Seema’s father. “We don’t earn enough [to sustain ourselves in a lockdown] and we have no savings. The government doesn’t help and our employers won’t help either.”

Last year’s lockdown was traumatic for the Khosles. They had been working as migrant labourers in Madhya Pradesh when it was announced. “We managed to get a bus to reach halfway to home; we walked the rest of the way back,” he said.

Aerial view of the platform at Ahmedabad Railway station | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A crowded platform at Ahmedabad railway station | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
An Aerial view of the Ahmedabad Railway station at night | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Migrant workers sleeping at Ahmedabad railway station | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A group of migrants have their lunch and nap | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A group of migrants having their lunch at the railway station, while a few catch a nap | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Migrants take a nap while waiting for their trains | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Migrant workers take a nap, while waiting for their trains | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A family of migrant workers walks towards the railway station | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A family of migrant workers on their way to the railway station in Ahmedabad | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Mirgants workers sits in platform to wait for their trains | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Migrant workers waiting for their trains | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A girl waits for the train to start | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A girl waits for a train to depart | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A passenger waits at the platform in the night | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A platform at the Ahmedabad railway station at night | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A woman rests with her family in Ahmedabad railway station | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
It’s a long wait for trains. A family rests as it waits | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Travel agent deals with migrant workers in Astodia area of Ahmedabad | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Travel agents helping migrant workers in the Astodia area of Ahmedabad | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A group of migrants stuff themselves in an auto to reach the Ahmedabad railway station | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A group of migrant workers travel in an auto to reach the Ahmedabad railway station | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A group of migrant workers going to Bihar wait for their train at the railway station | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A group of migrant workers from Bihar, waiting for their train | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A family of migrant workers walk towards the railway station | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A familiar scene in Ahmedabad — migrant workers walking to the railway station | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A sister plays with her sibling while waiting for her train | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A girl plays with a toddler, as they pass the time at the station | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Hoarders of migrants waiting for their train outside the platform | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A crowd of migrant workers waiting outside the station | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Children’s play while waiting for the train at platform | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Children play, as their families wait for their train | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A family of migrants wait for their train on platforms | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Another family of migrant workers waiting for their train | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

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1 COMMENT

  1. Lockdown is an idea that has outlived its utility.
    Mere migration of people around is again likely to spread the virus and mutants of the virus.
    One needs to consider the loss happening to our business, economy, education (and development of human resource), other illnesses that are likely to kill as well if untreated.
    Also, allowing congregations for rallies and religious purposes, but limiting them for entertainment or education or social reasons seems hypocritical – the number of people who can congregate – 5 , 50 or 500 should not be on administrative discretion (as increasing discretion is likely to be influenced and generate asymmetric power [note license raj]) – it should apply equally barring life-threatening exigencies.

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