Coronavirus: How migrated workers in Mumbai are living during lockdown

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 announced the lockdown in the country as part of the ongoing battle against the Coronavirus until May 3. As with Lockdown - 1 only the supply of essential goods will continue, all other services will remain closed.

However, even after this announcement, thousands of people gathered at Bandra station suddenly in the evening and there was a huge uproar.

How did these people get together, because of the message that someone was going to share something, that they came, because of the rumor that the train would start and go home; Police are investigating the case. However, the issue concerns the migrant laborers, the problems caused by the lockdown.

On this occasion, Sushil Kadam, the photographer of Lokmat, went to the grocery at Ray Road and tried to keep the daily life of the laborers there, the conditions caused by the lockdown, their pain and suffering.

It is easy to see why these laborers have been at home sometimes, once they are free to breathe.

Due to lockdown, employment is closed, income is closed. Some NGOs provide meals, but many do not have enough space to stay.

Since Arvi is out all day, he has enough room to sleep at night. But now they do not want to be dragged into a dark room all day.

He says, what will happen if I get sick, get treatment, get home or not, my heart is still in my heart.

Therefore, the migrant workers are praying that the lockdown should be completed as soon as possible and the train should start or employment should start.

SpiceJet has even offered to fly workers home for free, though authorities have grounded domestic flights.

For many others who chose to stay back, sourcing food has become a problem even though local governments and civil society have been doing their bit. The situation is grim and almost 200 have died across the country since the lockdown was imposed – and it was not because they contracted coronavirus.

Millions of migrant workers are left jobless and penniless by the full shutdown in the country, that has sparked an exodus from major cities.

“Jo beemari se bache, toh bhookh se mar jayenge (If not by the virus, we will die of hunger)”, Delhi-based poet and musician Poojan Sahil recorded a beautiful song Bhookh as searing visuals of migrant workers walking back home barefoot run in the background.

The poem comes at a time when thousands of migrant workers have been forced to take up the long walk home to survive the pandemic.

The aggressive lockdown has particularly affected the poor.

“Distressed” by the plight of migrant workers in the wake of the lockdown imposed to contain COVID-19 outbreak in India, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, on Thursday stressed that the measures in response to pandemic.

“The lockdown in India represents a massive logistical and implementation challenge given the population size and its density and we all hope the spread of the virus can be checked,” the UN Human Rights chief said.

A large number of migrant workers and their families, including women and children, had to leave the cities across the country, as the lockdown imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic rendered them jobless.