Labourer family travel on foot 309 kilometres after being denied wages

A family of daily wage labourers who got cheated travelled on foot a distance of 309 kilometres all the way from Sultanpur to Punjab. Despite having worked for a span of two months, the family comprising of 16 people were not paid even a rupee by the farmer and the contractor. Now, this family who got cheated covered a distance of 309 kilometres in 11 days to reach Shamli from Punjab. All along the way, their only source of food was sugarcane sticks.

Shamli (Uttar Pradesh): Apart from facing the hardships related due to Covid19 induced lockdown, several cases of fraud against daily wage labourers have been reported. Now, a family of daily wage labourers from Sultanpur fell prey to a farmer and contractor in Punjab. Despite having worked on the farm for two months, this family of 16 people, including children were not paid wages. With no money left and no food, this family moved on foot covering 309 kilometres within a span of eleven days to Shamli in Uttar Pradesh.

Bankelal, a resident of Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh, was sent to Hoshiarpur in Punjab by a contractor named Bhoja, two months ago. The family comprising of 16 people including 11 children were employed with a Sikh farmer in Hoshiarpur to work on his farm. Now, it is being alleged by the family members that the contractor fraudulently sold them to the farmer.

Having toiled for two months on the farm, when the family asked for their wages, the Sikh farmer refused to make any payment. When the family questioned, it was learnt that the contractor had sold them to the Sikh farmer. As they had no other means, the family decided to move on from Hoshiarpur to Sultanpur.

The total distance from Hoshiarpur in Punjab to Shamli is 309 kilometres. In order to catch the train to Lucknow from Shamli railway station, the family traversed all the way on foot. Finally, on having arrived in Shamli they were shocked to find out that there was no train to Lucknow. Though some people suggested the family to leave for Delhi or Lucknow via bus, as they cannot afford that much amount, they have decided to stay back at the railway station.