Migrant Workers Defy Lockdown And Come On To The Streets In Mumbai And Surat, Want To Return Home

Mumbai, the city with the highest number of coronavirus cases saw a huge protest at one of its busiest railway stations on April 14. Bandra Railway Station was flooded with migrant workers amid the lockdown. Hoping that the lockdown will end and they can return to their native places, around 1500 migrant labourers gathered at the railway station. Police had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse them. The people who gathered are mostly daily wage earners who are not able to earn anything post the lockdown announcement. The lockdown which was supposed to end on April 14 was extended till May 3. Vinay Dubey, self-proclaimed labour leader allegedly put out several social media posts around a campaign, ‘Chalo Ghar Ki Ore (let’s go home)’ compelling the migrant workers, desperate to return home to storm the railway station. Mumbai police arrested Dubey from Navi Mumbai. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had called Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to express concern and offer support. Uddhav warned rumour-mongers, ‘Don't play with their emotions. They are poor people. I warn you don't play with their emotions.’ In a similar incident, hundreds of migrant workers gathered in Surat, Gujarat with similar demands as their Mumbai counterparts. Recently, a protest was held by daily wage labourers in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Labourers claimed they do not have money to buy essential commodities amid lockdown. India has 11439 cases with 377 deaths being reported.