Why South Indians not seen walking on national highways from Delhi?

Many wonder as why none from South Indian are walking by foot on national highway roads of Delhi. Though lakhs of South Indians reside in the national capital still no one intends to step out during the lockdown.

New Delhi: After the 21-day-lock down was announced, the national highways from New Delhi are witnessing that hundreds of migrant labourers are walking on foot to their respective native places in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and even upto Bihar. Yet, lakhs of South Indians who have a sporadic presence in the national capital are not home bound and stick with Delhi.

It has been a question among people that why none of the South Indians is walking by foot on NH roads of Delhi. Apparently, the answer is simple that it would take months if people started from Delhi by walking to reach the south.

However, none has the intention to step out the capital city according to the Delhi-based-South Indians.

The reason is different as many South Indians from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka do not want to leave Delhi despite the lock down is hurting them.

"About 10 lakh Tamils are residing in New Delhi. They don't want to fly to their native as because of this lock down," says Adikesavan, a Trilokpuri-based Tamil migrant to Delhi.

Trilokpuri, Kalyanpuri, Indirapuri, Janakpuri, Munirka and RK Puram are the significant areas where Tamils are residing in high numbers.

For Keralites, Mayur Vihar, New Ashok Nagar and some parts of southern Delhi are the places where they had settled some two to three decades ago.

"A majority of Delhi South Indians are not new migrants to the capital. Most of the families have reached Delhi in the seventies when the south faced a drought. Even as they had come as landless migrants and were initially engaged in the menial jobs, now, they are running restaurants, fancy stores and other businesses. So, they have permanently settled in Delhi and turned as a guests to their own native places in TN," said Adikesavan.

R Sujeeth, a native of Kerala and currently a resident of Mayur Vihar phase -I says that 99.99% Malayalees in the Delhi are not migrant labours.

"Everyone has their own business and job here in the capital. Unlike the migrant labours from UP, Rajasthan and Bihar, Keralites have a permanent residence. Even Keralites are owning an apartment complex in Mayur Vihar where hundreds of families found their home. So, what may come, we don't want to return to our roots," Sujeeth added.

M Sundaralingam from Indirapuri reveals a different story that why no Tamils are seen on the NHs at the outskirts of Delhi.

"Tamil Nadu people who want to migrate as labours had never opted for Delhi as it is far away from the southern state. Usually, South Indians used to migrate to their neighbouring states including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh."

" As most of the migrant workers in Delhi are working as construction labours and E-scooter walas with least income, TN people are not preferring Delhi. In fact, majority of native Tamils in TN are not ready to take the such menial jobs in their own state as because of the poorly paying contractors," he added.

Sundaralingam further pointed out that many TN people are flying to Singapore, Malaysia and Gulf to find a job.

"When compared with India's other states, Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai and Saudi Arabia are paying a descent salary to foreign migrants. Therefore, south people are not bothering about the underpaid jobs in northern part of the country. Hence, the lock down is not witnessing the movement of Tamils or other south people on Delhi NHs. Also, it is evident about 54000 people had returned to TN in the past few weeks from abroad, " he added.