Mayawati slams Centre and states for troubles faced by migrant labourers amid lockdown

BSP Chief Mayawati on Tuesday slammed the Centre and the state governments for the problems that migrant labourers had to face after the imposition of the countrywide lockdown last month.

"Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the miserable situation of Dalits, Adivasis and marginalised that we saw, it makes it clear that the Central and state government's mentality has not changed towards them," said Mayawati.

Alleging that these migrant workers were neglected by the state governments and the Centre, Mayawati said," After the Central government announced the lockdown, people who had gone to different states to earn livelihood were forced to go back to their native places due to neglect by the respective state governments and their owners."

"And I would like to add, almost 90 percent of them are Dalits, Adivasis and from other marginalised communities and the rest, 10 percent of them are poor. The states in which they were stranded did not stop them from going back to their home states due to their mentality towards them, they (state governments) did not even make efforts to provide them with their daily needs," she said.

"The governments did not make any arrangements for their departure either and all of these people had to face a lot of trouble. It was only after they started walking to their home states that the governments were forced to send them back in buses and trucks out of the fear of the pandemic. Most of them are still not allowed to visit their homes and are isolated," she further added.

Meanwhile, the 21-day lockdown, which was announced by the Prime Minister last month, which was scheduled to end today, has now been extended to May 3. The Prime Minister in his address to the nation made the announcement regarding the extension.