Raipur: A social activist in Chhattisgarh has been helping migrant workers whose earnings have shrunk amid the pandemic. ETV Bharat, in its exclusive series during Navratri, spoke to many women who have made remarkable contributions. One such example is Manjeet Kaur Bal.
In an attempt to create awareness among labourers, Kaur came up with a strategy to educate people about Dos and Don'ts. The decision to create awareness came in the backdrop of a sense of fear and panic among the workers, who started walking towards their native homelands after unemployment and starvation started looming over their heads.
"One day, I saw a few police personnel dragging a pregnant woman on the road and made her sit on the footpath. It was a painful sight. I tried to stop them and told them not to behave badly with workers, who are already shattered in such conditions," the activist added.
"I planned to prepare a full-fledged strategy to help the migrant workers who were not getting any assistance from the government. My team co-ordinated with the district administration officials. Approving our plan, the concerned authorities constructed a large shelter home in Raipur. They also helped us in implementing our strategy by helping us in providing ration and other necessary materials to the workers. And then, there was no looking back," she added.
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On Labour's Day, Manjeet and her team of volunteers decided to approach the labourers and get an understanding of the troubles that they are going through.
Manjeet told ETV Bharat, "We arranged for transport for the workers and ferried them from Tatibangh Chowk to their respective native homelands. It was heart-wrenching to see the labourers walk. I felt that if the labourers would get transport and food properly, then the joy and relief of reaching home might replace their anger."
Born in a small village in Jashpur district, Manjeet completed her studies at different places. After pursuing MBA from Guru Ghasidas Central University in Bilaspur, she took up social service instead of working in any major company. She has been working as a social activist for the last 13 years.
During her tenure of service, she has interacted with lots of people from different backgrounds to get an understanding of their lives.
