Mumbai: Migrant workers came out in protest here hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced extension of lockdown till May 3. The daily wage earners demanded transportation which will enable them to return home.
Plight of migrant workers
Daily wage workers have been rendered jobless ever since the lockdown was announced march 25. The lockdown was enforced to prevent the spread of coronavirus. However, it also affected the lives of the daily wagers. With no earnings life became a huge struggle for them during lockdown.
The administration here and various NGOs have made arrangements for food and other basic facilities for the migrant workers. However, most of them want to go back to their native places. This is because they want to escape the hardships brought by the sweeping curbs.
Demanding transportation
Police officials said close to 1,000 daily wage earners, assembled at Bandra (West) bus depot near the railway station. They squatted on the road at around 3.00pm demanding transportation to return home. Most of them stay on rent in slums in the nearby Patel Nagri locality. The majority of them hail from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
One of the daily wage earners on condition of anonymity said they had no complaints against the NGO. “We want to go back to our native states as the lockdown has affected our source of livelihood,” he said.
Plight of daily wage earners
“Now, we don’t want food, we want to go back to our native place. We are not happy with the announcement (extending the lockdown),” he added.
Asadullah Sheikh, hails from from Malda in West Bengal had his point to offer.” We have already spent our savings during the first phase of the lockdown. We have nothing to eat now, we just want to go back to at our native place. The government should made arrangements for us,” said Sheikh.
Heavy police deployment was made at the protest site to tackle any untoward incident. Personnel from other police stations were called at the spot to maintain order, said an official.
Agencies