Social distancing goes for toss; 'homesick' migrants protest

Ignoring lockdown norms, over 1,000 migrant workers who earn daily wages gathered here on Tuesday demanding transport arrangements to go back to their native places, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the coronavirus-enforced curbs till May 3.

The gathering in suburban Bandra, in violation of lockdown norms, created a potential law and order situation for an overstretched police force and the men in uniform resorted to mild force to scatter the crowd.

A police official said the migrants, who assembled around 3 pm, were dispersed two hours later and have been assured accommodation and food till the lockdown lasts.

In viral videos, police were seen resorting to mild cane-charge to disperse the migrants, who had gathered at the bus depot near the Bandra railway station in suburban Mumbai.

Most of these migrant workers were from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bihar, and they reside in nearby slums and other areas on rent.

Police authorities heaved a sigh of relief as no untoward incident occurred at the site, where more than 1,000 people were estimated to have been present.

The daily wage earners were demanding arrangement of transport facilities so that they can go back to their native towns and villages.

The gathering in Mumbai came close on the heels of a violent protest last week by migrant workers in Surat, who, too, were demanding that they be sent back to their native places.

Daily wage workers have been rendered jobless ever since the lockdown was announced late last month to stem the spread of COVID-19, making their life a constant struggle.

Though authorities and NGOs have made arrangements for their food, most of them want to go back to their native places to escape the hardship brought by the sweeping curbs on movement of people. Train and bus services were suspended as part of the lockdown exercise.

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said the migrant workers who gathered outside Bandra railway station might have expected that the PM would order reopening of state borders.

They were told by the police that borders are not going to be opened and the situation was now under control, Deshmukh said.

The migrants were assured that the state government will make arrangement of food and accommodation for them, following which the crowds dispersed, the minister said.

The gathering triggered a blame-game between the Shiv Sena-led government and the opposition BJP.

Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray blamed the Centre for the protest by the migrant workers and sought a road map to facilitate their journey back to their native places.

In a series of tweets, Thackeray said, "The current situation in Bandra, now dispersed or even the rioting in Surat is a result of the union government not being able to take a call on arranging a way back home migrant labour."
Additional CP Manoj Sharma said, "These all are local residents. A large number of people reside in this locality (Bandra), no legal action has been taken yet."
Asadullah Sheikh, who hails from from Malda in West Bengal, said, "We have spent our savings during the first phase of the lockdown. We have nothing to eat now, we just want to go back at our native place, the government should made arrangements for us."
Another labourer, Abdul Kayyun, said, "I am in Mumbai for last many years but have never seen such a situation. The government should start trains to shift us from here to our native place."