Thousands of distressed and hungry migrant workers, desperate to go home after they had lost their jobs in the city and receiving no help from the administration and government, came out on the streets on 11 May 2020 in Jaipur at Nahri ka Naka in the Shastri Nagar Thana area to express their anger.
Instead of confronting such a large numbers of migrants with sympathy, the police and RAC used force against them, women, and children causing a stampede which resulted in many getting injured.
As soon as the affected workers gave information about this incident on the Samarth Helpline, responsible people from three Left parties associated with the Helpline arrived on the spot, including CPI leader Nisha Siddhu, CPM Jaipur District Secretary Sumitra Chopra, CPIML District Secretary Rahul Chaudhary, CITU leaders Harendra Singh and Vijay Singh. Other social activists and journalists also reached the spot. They heard the problems of the workers and tried to help them by talking to the administration.
These workers are all migrant workers from Bihar and West Bengal and are about 8,000 in number in this tiny colony. These workers have been given rations just once during this entire period by the administration. It is over one month since they got rations. So most of the food and rations were being provided through this helpline and some social organizations; but even this was not sufficient. Distressed, these workers tried hard to go home; they even paid a lot of money to local authorized computer vendors (e-mitra) in the name of registration for the booking of rail tickets, but no means of going home was arranged for them. Eventually the desperate come out on the streets.
They have also called out for help to their Chief Ministers to get them home, but in view of the callousness of the administration it does not appear as if they will be given any help. Local goons often trouble them and beat them up.
Rahul Chaudhary, a CPIML activists associated with the helpline, said that for many days we have been trying to arrange some transport for these workers to get home. But so far the administration has made no arrangement for them. Thousands of workers have been herded together in this small area in inhuman conditions. So many people living in such close proximity is an open invitation to the pandemic, but the administration remains heedless.
Police Mitra used in Lathi Charge: Video footages of the 11 May incident show local ‘Police Mitra’s (citizen volunteers meant to help police in range of civilian activities) wielding lathis on the workers and ill-treating and abusing them. This is a flagrant violation of the country’s law and order system, said these activists and demanded that cognizance should be taken immediately.
Kashmiri Workers Sent Home from Coimbatore
Around 129 Kashmiri workers including Altaf, Azad, Tinku and Pradeep employed in Mahalakshmi Logistics at Somanur in Coimbatore could be sent to their homes at Basoli in Kathua District by the efforts of activists who managed their train journey after coming to know of their plight through CPIML Tamil party organ THOZHILALAR KOODAM published from Chennai.
