Woes of migrant labourers continue
NEW DELHI: The hurdles of daily wagers and labourers seem to have no end as hordes of people, including women and children, started returning to parts of the national Capital after Delhi Police sealed the border with adjoining states.
Thousands who reached Anand Vihar bus terminus on Saturday were trapped after police directed them to return back. Panic-stricken women and children started crying soon after the announcement made. Many of them refused to leave the place citing that they cannot survive in the city on their own as their savings are dwindling fast. They cited that the apathy of administration in addressing the prevailing concerns such as food and shelter has left them in lurch.
Amid fear, confusion, chaos and stampede-like situation, infiltration of labourers continued throughout the day on Sunday at bus terminuses across Delhi-NCR, Ghazipur and other bordering areas. Thousands of them even resorted to walking hundreds of kilometres to return to their home states.
"We have no food, water and money at all. We have become jobless and the factory owners/landlords have asked to evacuate factory premises. The government has stopped vehicular movement. Hence, no means of transport is available for us. What options do we have now instead of dying of hunger? If we die, we want to die in our homes and that is why we have decided to walk all along highways," said Pradeep Paswan, a labourer working in a factory in Burari area.
Paswan, who is from Bihar's Samastipur, claimed that there are tens of thousands of people working in organised sectors in Burari and nearby areas who have been left unattended since announcement of lockdown by both Delhi and Central governments earlier. "There is no food for people like us. Labourers are hungry for the last two-three days waiting for food by the government agencies. No one approached us for any kind of assistance," he said.
At Ghazipur border, hundreds of migrant workers fought amongst themselves to get seats in the buses provided by the Uttar Pradesh administration on Sunday. Hundreds of migrant workers reached Anand Vihar, Ghazipur and Ghaziabad's Lal Kuan on foot to take buses to their respective native places. "Uttar Pradesh is running buses and we are here to find a seat in them. Though they have fixed capacity, we have been waiting for our turn. We are hungry and no food has been given to us. Policemen are asking us to go back. It's a chaos-like situation and the government must take care of our concern," said a migrant worker from Allahabad district.
On Sunday, hundreds attempted to leave again but were blocked by police
barricades at some distance from the bus station. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Dinesh Gupta said that they are sending back labourers to their respective places in Delhi. "Border has been sealed and there are more than 10,000 forces deployed at the spot. With the help of buses, these people will be sent," he added.
Labourers who were standing there hoped that if police opens the borders, they will walk all the way to their homes in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. "From the last one week there is no work, no food, no sign of normalcy. It is impossible to stay here," a labourer said. Many were also seen trying to walk on the railway tracks at Anand Vihar.
According to police, in a video conferencing with RWAs and MWAs, they were asked to identify needy people and inform them so that immediate help being provided.
In North Delhi, over 2,500 labourers who were on roads were sent back to their residents in Delhi. While talking to police, the labourers told them that they have no money left and they have a family to feed but in such condition, it was nearly impossible. At least in their native places, they will have something to eat and feed.
Meanwhile, the Kaushambi bus stand was vacated by Sunday afternoon and passengers were directed to Lal Kuan where nearly 600 buses were appointed to ferry them to various locations.
Thousands of migrant workers, daily waged labourers and other people from Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and other parts of NCR region gathered at UP gate and Kaushambi bus stand in Ghaziabad creating a threat not only to situation of law and order at border area but also to lives of these people.
The Ghaziabad police and administration turned helpless as the crowd was so massive and when situation started going out of control they urged Delhi government not to allow any more people cross the border and arrange facilities for them in Delhi only. As a result of which, the situation started coming under control in Ghaziabad and by Sunday evening nearly 600 buses including around 350 buses from Haryana roadways and rest from Ghaziabad were sent to different locations on Sunday. "After a continuous struggle for three days and nights, police managed to bring back the situation under control and by Sunday evening no gathering of passengers was observed anywhere in Ghaziabad. People were safely sent to their hometown and villages in private as well as government buses" said Kalanidhi Naithani, Senior Superintendent of Ghaziabad police.
with inputs from abhay singh
and rahul singh
