6 lakh migrants in Maharashtra’s Bhiwandi left in lurch amid lockdown

Forty-two-year-old Sayantan Gupta has been running from pillar to post from the past one week to get a chance to board any of the buses or trains that head to his

Forty-two-year-old Sayantan Gupta has been running from pillar to post from the past one week to get a chance to board any of the buses or trains that head to his hometown Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh. However, despite repeated attempts, he was unable to do so and continues to live in his rented one-room house with five other men in Bhiwandi’s Padmanagar area. Bhiwandi has more than 10 lakh power loom factories, where migrant labourers are employed.

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“Although announcements regarding buses heading to different states are being made, we have no idea how to reserve a seat. I have visited various government offices and even the bus depots and train stations but have not received much help. The past one month-and-a-half has been very frustrating, living in a small room with five others without sufficient food to eat. Back home we have a farm. I will be with my family and get basic food items, which will be helpful to survive this lockdown,” said Gupta.

Gupta’s tale is similar to what many of the around 6 lakh migrant loom workers in Bhiwandi, who had been struggling to make ends meet due to the lockdown. Some of them have managed to go back home. Most of these labourers are staying without their families and are unable to send money back home as they have not received wages since March 15. Many of them are surviving only on water or some days manage to get one meal.

Although provisions for community kitchens have been made at various places across Bhiwandi, they do not seem to be sufficient, say migrants. “We stand in long queues at community kitchens but before our turn comes, the food gets over. It’s really difficult to survive as we have no money to buy groceries,” said Rakesh Yadav, 34, another loom worker from Kamatghar.

Yadav said he has survived on water for many days. “On the days we are very hungry and have no food, we gulp down lots of water. We do not deserve such inhuman treatment. The authorities should have given us groceries, then we would have managed to cook something better,” he added.

Meanwhile, migrant labourers who are observing their Ramzan fast are forced to break the fast with just water as they lack enough money to buy proper food. “We do not have the strength to go looking for food. If the community kitchen near our house provides us with lunch, we save it for iftaar [meal while breaking the fast]. Otherwise, we rely on just plain water and sleep empty stomach. On some days, our neighbours or friends get food for us,” said Aslam Sheikh, 35, a resident of Nayi Basti.

With the migrant crisis getting worse, many social organisations have come together to ensure that food reaches the lakhs of migrant workers stranded in Bhiwandi. But they said community kitchens need to be better organised.

“Although there are many social organisations and a few community kitchens that have stepped up to provide food and groceries, there is no logistical distribution. There could be some areas where the same people have received meals more than once and a few others who stay hungry all through the day,” said Govind Sharma, President, Samvaad Foundation. Social organisations also worry that they can continue giving free meals only till their donations last.

Meanwhile, power loom owners and labourers are also worried about the post-lockdown scenario. Jivraj Nagariya, chairman, Power Loom Owners’ Federation, Bhiwandi, said, “After the lockdown, getting back to business will be very difficult as many labourers are heading back to their homes. We have to start all over, right from getting raw materials to restarting the factories after the lockdown ends. We will need the government’s support to spring back to business.”