'Migrant labourers in a pathetic situation'

Words fail to describe the trials and tribulations being faced by the migrant workers during the second wave of Covid-19. They are unable to get a wink of sleep in view of the present bleak situation. While the bitter experiences of the last year still haunted them like a nightmare, the uncertainty of tomorrow is dampening their spirits.

Hyderabad: Words fail to describe the trials and tribulations being faced by the migrant workers during the second wave of Covid-19. They are unable to get a wink of sleep in view of the present bleak situation. While the bitter experiences of the last year still haunted them like a nightmare, the uncertainty of tomorrow is dampening their spirits.

As most States have already begun imposing restrictions like night-time curfews, migrant labourers are not able to remain at their place of work. Railway Stations in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and other cities are brimming with migrant labourers, waiting to catch the next train to their native places.

Last year, when the lockdown was imposed as part of the measures to contain the spread of the virus, the employment opportunities of the migrant labourers had suffered a severe blow. Though no decision has been taken to impose lockdown as yet, innumerable workers have been thrown into a situation where they do not have any work to do. Neither do they have anything to eat. As all their savings have melted away, they are reaching railway stations in a penniless condition.

Labourers from Kolkata, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Odisha and other places migrate to major cities where they toil hard to earn a livelihood. They are engaged in construction works related to real estate, irrigation projects, flyovers, drainages etc. The Central government should generously extend help to these hapless being who are suffering a great deal due to the calamity that struck them like a bolt from the blue. It should take all steps to save their lives.

According to the census figures, there are around 11.80 crore migrant workers in the country. The number has been increasing with each passing year, say the analysts. In many states, the construction sector will fall flat without these migrant workers. In many states, farming activity too will come to a standstill without them. Kind hearts felt a great wrench when these migrant workers began the long march back to their villages, with belongings and children on their shoulders, when the lockdown was imposed last year. They ate whatever was given to them by the kind-hearted donors and remained hungry but continued to walk even when they got nothing to eat. It is the most tragic episode of the Covid crisis.

Unable to walk any further due to exhaustion and the scalds developed in their legs, many fell and died. Such luckless beings are countless. On a national scale, the government should take all the organizational measures to prevent the recurrence of such tragedy. A sufficient number of trains should be arranged to take the workers to their destinations. Though officials maintain that they had transported one crore labourers through Shramik trains, there are allegations galore pointing out that the number of persons that could avail of the facility was far less than the number of people that required transportation.

Apart from arranging an adequate number of trains, the government should also meet the food and other requirements of the labourers. Until the situation improves, the migrant workers should get a continuous supply of foodstuffs. This is the humanitarian duty of any democratically elected government, even though there is no law in the country which calls for the taking care of the migrant labourers.