More than a month after India imposed its nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of coronavirus, migrant labourers across the country are beginning to board special trains to return to their homes.
But the rub is that the low-wage earners – who, under the Covid-19 lockdown, were effectively made jobless overnight – have been asked by the government to pay for their own journeys.
'Inhuman'
Some of these train tickets can cost around 800 Indian rupees (10 euros) and a daily-wage earner typically makes between 200 and 600 rupees a day – and even that is absent now in this lockdown,” Pradip Guha, a civil rights activist tells RFI.
The move has enraged millions. Opposition party politicians and civil society members decried it as "inhuman".
In Gujarat, migrants say they paid for their own train tickets in contrast to what BJP has claimed. See this story from Ahmedabad Mirror https://t.co/E9nfcB58xG
— Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) May 4, 2020
“The Indian National Congress has taken a decision that every state Congress unit shall bear the cost for the rail travel of every needy worker and migrant labourer,” Gandhi said in a letter.
“This will be the Indian National Congress party’s’ humble contribution in service of our compatriots and to stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with them,” she added.
'Moronic' government
When the coronavirus pandemic broke out, the government ensured safe return of people stuck abroad in China, Italy, Iran and other parts of the world, arranging free flights on Air India for more than 1,000 people.
But the announcement that the poorest Indians would have to pay for their own return also sparked criticism from within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
"Indians stranded abroad were brought back free by Air India,” said Subramanian Swamy, an MP from the BJP. "How moronic of the government of India to charge steep rail fares from the half-starved migrant labourers?"
The government defended the move, saying it was necessary to ensure that only those who were "really stranded" would use the train services.
We as a country should bear the cost of migrants going back to their homes. Train services should be free. They (Labourers) are already burdened with no pay & no place to stay compounded with the fear of #covid19 infection. pic.twitter.com/lKK5KfKz7u
— Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) May 4, 2020
A recent report prepared by the NGO, Stranded Workers Action Network, shows many day workers have been driven close to starvation.
“Owing to the lack of cash and food availability, many had been eating frugally and some had even been on the brink of starvation,” the report said.
It also highlights physical and psychological trauma among many interviewed, and desperation to return home.
The government on Saturday began running special trains for stranded migrants to travel to their home states. So far, 13 trains have ferried migrants from cities such as Bangalore, Surat, Sabarmati and Kota.
Two special trains carrying more than 2,000 migrant workers, who stranded in the western state of Maharashtra, arrived in Uttar Pradesh on Monday.
