ETV Bharat impact: Migrant worker from Assam returns home from Laxmipur in Odisha

Ajay Bodule, a migrant worker from Assam, reached Laxmipur in Koraput after crossing 650 km on his way back to Guwahati from Hyderabad. Ajay's journey from Assam to Hyderabad and then to Laxmipur in Koraput district was covered by ETV Bharat. After the news was broadcast in Odia and Assamese, the Guwahati-based journalist from ETV Bharat visited Ajay's  village and established contact with his family.

Koraput(Odisha): Ajay Bodule, a migrant worker from Assam, reached Laxmipur in Koraput after crossing 650 km on his way back to Guwahati from Hyderabad. Ajay's journey from Assam to Hyderabad and then to Laxmipur in Koraput district was covered by ETV Bharat . After the news was broadcast in Odia and Assamese, the Guwahati-based journalist from ETV Bharat visited Ajay's village and established contact with his family.

Moreover, the Assam government was informed about the news aired in ETV Bharat through the efforts of Laxmi Narayan Nanda, an Odia officer with UNICEF in Assam ,Umi Daniel, the state head of Aid-At-Action in Odisha and a young social worker from Koraput. As a result of the collective effort, two Assamese police officers arrived at Laxmipur today and in collaboration with Laxmipur police, approached Taslim Ahmed, a driver from Assam who was working at a Railway project for digging a tunnel and who gave shelter to Ajay.

After speaking to everyone there, Assam police took over the responsibility of Ajay and helped him to reach his home town in Assam by a train from Vizianagaram.

Ajay, a native of Assam's Nagaon district arrived in Hyderabad a few months ago to earn a living by working as a daily labourer. According to Ajay , he was lured by a local mason who told him that he would get good income for his work in Hyderabad. On arrival at Hyderabad, Ajay was engaged in construction work. Later, the mason had suddenly disappeared when Ajay expressed anguish over lack of wages for months.

Ajay made his first move three months ago after deciding to return home without food for three days. He was forced to make his journey on foot because he did not have the money to reach Guwahati by any other means . He did not have a mobile phone or anyone's phone number. Penniless, Ajay begged people for food when he was hungry on the way. He only got to eat when people took pity on him. Otherwise, he only drank water and kept walking.

Ajay, who had begun his journey to Guwahati three months back had entered Odisha through Malkangiri district and after walking about 650 km from Hyderabad, he was able to reach Laxmipur in Koraput district recently. While he was asking people at Laxmipur about the way to Guwahati, he was spotted by Narendra Garada, a young social worker who enquired why Ajay was walking around helplessly.

When he learned of Ajay's journey from Hyderabad to Guwahati, he took him to his house and fed him. While he was trying to send Ajay to his village by extending some financial support. Narendra learned about some workers from Assam who were engaged in the construction of a new railway tunnel near Laxmipur.

Later, Narendra took Ajay to them. Moved by his plight, they offered Ajay a chance to work with them for some days.