How Delhi govt and cops are keeping migrants engaged with sports, recreational activities

New Delhi: Delhi police and government agencies are adopting different ways and means to stop hundreds of migrant workers presently lodged in shelter homes from

New Delhi: Delhi police and government agencies are adopting different ways and means to stop hundreds of migrant workers presently lodged in shelter homes from leaving and keep them free from stress and boredom by introducing them to sports and other recreational activities.

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Most migrant workers and their families generally stay inside the shelter home the whole day. And the authorities are trying to change that.

For 12-year-old Jitin Kashyap, playing football in the evenings at the shelter, which has been his home for at least the past 22 days, is all that he looks forward to in the day.

The sports activities started earlier this month. Jitin, the youngest among inmates, is happy to play with his older mates. “It is fun playing football and I get to play some badminton, which I had never played before. It is much better than when we had just come here. Initially we would just sit all day,” said Jitin, who has been confined at a shelter in a school building at central Delhi’s New Rajendra Nagar since March 29 with his family.

Soon after the lockdown was announced, a large section of migrant workers started marching out to go back to their native places. While many left, a large number stayed back, seeking shelter in government-run homes. The Delhi government converted 256 school buildings into shelters for migrants and daily wagers, providing them food and other essentials.

The police are also trying to keep the migrants safe and inside their shelters while fighting rumours that there was lack of food and other essential commodities as well as healthcare services. The police are keeping a strict surveillance through drones in these areas and checking railway stations and bus terminuses to ensure people do not try to illegally transport migrants across the states.

The shelter home in New Rajendra Nagar has 43 migrants, including six women, and guarded by civil defence volunteers and police personnel. According to the personnel on duty, the inmates had started to feel homesick with some of them showing signs of depression. Some even made attempts to run away after which the police decided to start recreational activities to keep them engaged.

Every evening at 4pm, the inmates are distributed in groups for various games, including volley ball, badminton and football. This is followed by a snack break. On weekends, antakshari is played.

“We are getting food and other facilities now. The children are also engaged. I am only worried about what will happen when we go out, as we have run out of whatever little cash we had,” said Suman, 46 and mother of Jitin.

The family of six had started walking from Bahadurgarh in Haryana on March 28 where they lived in a rented room to cross Delhi to reach Uttar Pradesh’s Hardoi. They reached Shankar Road when the police stopped them and brought them to the shelter home.

Government and police officers managing the shelter homes said initially the inmates complained of erratic timings of food distribution, poor quality and small portions. Also, there were issues with basic items of hygiene not being available, including toothpaste, combs, soap, oil and shampoo, among others.

“Earlier the food we used to get was too little and given after long gaps. They would give us rice or khichdi twice a day. Now we get puri-sabzi once a day. They got us toiletries, but we are running out of soap and shampoo again,” said Ram Niranjan, 38, who worked at a leather goods-making unit in Paharganj and belongs to Amethi in UP.

For some, however, getting just the basics is not enough. They want to go back to their families. “All facilities are good here. We haven’t done anything wrong but still we are locked in. For how long can one remain under constant surveillance within a locked compound?” said Deepak Kumar, 20, who used to work at a factory in Khayala.

At different shelters, police are organising recreational activities to keep the inmates from slipping into depression or trying to escape out of the compound.

At Lajpat Nagar, the police roped in a magician to entertain the children and adults.

“It was after many years that I saw a magic show since I left the village a decade ago. The children were happy after so long,” said Sarita (goes by first name), 33, who used to work at a plastic factory and is from UP’s Muzaffarnagar district. She is here with her three children and husband. The shelter has 182 men, 30 women and 42 children.

At the Karol Bagh shelter, the police roped in volunteers from various organisations to engage the inmates in group-based activities depending on their age group and interests.

Joint-CP (Central Range) Suvashish Choudhary, said the initiatives have been taken to make them feel like home so that they don’t feel restless. “The migrant workforce is aspirational and every day counts for them in terms of livelihood. We are trying to keep them engaged in different activities to bust stress, as well as help them utilise time. This will help them relax and not feel tempted to go back home. It is important to treat them with warm and dignity,” said Choudhary.

Delhi Police commissioner SN Shrivastava has ordered officers to identify and punish rumour mongers and those who are trying to illegally transport people across states.

Besides going around in DTC buses, the police are also checking trucks, ambulances, and other vehicles to stop illegal transport of workers to other states in violation of the lockdown.

“In areas where migrants are putting up, we are maintaining surveillance through drones. We are also visiting shelter homes and camps and assuring dwellers that all their needs and well-being will be taken care of by the police and the government,” said deputy commissioner of police (south) Atul Kumar Thakur.

The vehicle-checking drive on Mehrauli-Badarpur Road on Thursday night led to the seizure of a truck in which 37 labourers were being transported to Haryana from Delhi, after being promised employment and better living condition in the state by a contractor, who was also travelling in the truck with them, said RP Meena, deputy commissioner of police (southeast). (With inputs from Karn Pratap Singh)