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“If I have to die, I would rather be close to my parents when I die. I don’t want to die here. “
Those were the words of Ramodar, an 18-year-old boy in Mumbai, desperate to go home to Uttar Pradesh and see his parents. He worked as a carpenter in the financial capital of India. But the past 45 days under lockdown have been tantalizingly cruel to him. “I would look forward to going home whenever the closing deadline approaches,” he said. “And every time the blockade was extended. I want to see my parents. I don’t know anything else. “
Prime Minister Narendra Modi first announced a three-week national shutdown on March 25 to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Since then it has been extended three times. On May 1, when the government extended the shutdown until May 17, Ramodar lost patience. “I haven’t won anything in two months,” he said. “My parents have sent me some money, so I am not hungry. But they are not millionaires. They are farmers who work hard for every rupee. I can’t keep taking money from them. I feel guilty.”
Desperate migrant workers begin a courageous trek from Mumbai to different parts of Uttar Pradesh. Image courtesy of Parth MN
Living in one of Bandra’s slums, Ramodar packed his belongings on Thursday morning and left on foot. Except he wasn’t alone. Hundreds of these migrant workers in Mumbai walked in the scorching heat along the eastern express highway with their belongings on their heads. They wore a mask to protect themselves from the coronavirus. But the mask could not hide his frustration, despair, and helplessness.
“If the state is not going to organize any transportation, we will walk back home,” said determined Ramodar.
On April 29, the Interior Ministry issued an order allowing the movement of migrant workers trapped outside the home.
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To return home, migrant workers in Mumbai are supposed to pick up a form from the local police station, fill it out with their details and the destination status. The initial order also required workers to obtain a health certificate stating that they do not have flu-like symptoms. But when that led to further chaos, the state government said the workers would be evaluated before the trip. Once they submit their data, they are supposed to wait for the call from the police station.
But the workers have no faith in the government’s plan. “I was in line until 2 in the morning, just to send my form to the police station,” Ramodar said. “There are no guarantees that we can board the train home. I do not trust anyone. We are poor people. No one listens to us. “
The workers he walked with agreed vehemently. “We could walk, we could hitchhike. We will see what happens, “they said.
However, Ramodar’s house is in the Basti district of Uttar Pradesh, which is 1,500 kilometers from Mumbai. A simple search on Google Maps shows that it would take more than 300 hours to get there on foot. In other words, if he walked without a minute’s rest, it would take him 13 days to see his parents.
But after just over three hours of walking, Ramodar and hundreds of others were detained at the Vikhroli checkpoint. The police told them that they could not pass and that they should wait for a call from their local police station. But the workers were in no mood to listen.
“Sometimes we get food, sometimes we don’t,” Anup Kumar, another Uttar Pradesh resident, tried to tell the police. “We have to depend on charity to survive. We do not have money. Please let us go.
Kumar turned to me and said, “Can you explain the condition we are in? There is no dignity in living like this. It is humiliating “.
I asked Kumar what he planned to do in his town, because he emigrated to Mumbai because, first of all, there is no work at home. “I will farm or work as a worker on someone’s farm,” he said. “I know that agricultural work is also being reduced. But I don’t want to think about it now. At least I won’t have to depend on someone else to eat in my town. We would grow our crops and consume them. We will manage. I will be close to my people. “
The workers said they may consider returning to Mumbai later. But certainly not for a time. “Isn’t it obvious wanting to be with family during a disaster?” Ramodar asked. “Even if I received two meals a day, I would like to go back. Why do I have to explain or justify my desire to see my parents?
The exasperated workforce presented its dying case to the overworked police force. However, the police had to follow orders. The workers sat on the sidewalk, determined to continue. A nearby flyover provided some shade.
One of the policemen took out his lathi and planted it on the calf of one of the workers. The others began to fight to avoid being hit.
I took out my mobile phone to film the proceedings. The police, realizing that a journalist is on the spot, refrained from hitting the migrant workers. Two of the hostile police officers approached me and asked me to delete the photos and videos. When I refused, they softened. “How are five of us supposed to control a crowd of 500? We are not happy to do this,” said one police officer. “They are not listening to us. Tell them to come back. They can hear you. This happened yesterday too. “
There was only one way the confrontation was going to end. And it ended with migrant workers walking back to where they had come from. Dejected, they gathered their belongings and began their arduous return. The only option for them was to wait for the call from their local police station and board a special train to return home. The call had better come soon. Because workers are on the edge.
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