Raipur: A group of unemployed migrant workers, some of them above 50 left from Chhattisgarh on Monday morning on bicycles they recently bought to return to their native homes in Jharkhand.
With no income and savings, 20 migrant workers of Bhilai steel plant embarked on a 600-km long journey amid coronavirus-induced lockdown, as they had no other option but to cover the distance on bicycle with heavy bags and water bottles tied to their bicycles. The migrant workers were unemployed for the last 45 days due to the closure of the steel plant where they worked.
The migrant workers who were seen on Janjgir-Champa highway while they were on their way to home, shared their story with ETV Bharat.
"A man gave us bread and milk to eat during our journey. We are unemployed for the last one and a half month now as industries are closed due to the lockdown. We somehow managed to bear our expenses till now," said a migrant worker while narrating his ordeal to ETV Bharat.
On being asked that what drove them to leave Chhattisgarh, a worker said," We were left with no money and even the government was not providing us with food and essentials after which we bought bicycles and decided to go home by bicycle."
"Lack of money and food forced us to embark on such a long journey. We were desperate to return to our homes otherwise we would have died of starvation. All the savings we had, have been exhausted," said another worker, who was resting at the highway in mid-way of the long journey.
Some labourers being above the age of 50 were at dual risk, one of being more prone to coronavirus, other that they might die of the tedious journey under the scorching sun.
The Union home ministry recently allowed the movement of migrant workers stuck in various states to get back to their homes during the third phase of the lockdown. But that doesn't seem to relax the workers of Chhattisgarh.
Also read: Medha Patkar demands aid from PM CARES Fund for stranded labourers
