PATNA
Taking suo motu cognizance of media reports regarding late departure and arrival of trains ferrying migrant workers, taking many additional days in the journey, the National Human Rights Commission Thursday issued notices to the chief secretaries of Gujarat and Bihar, chairman, Railway Board, and Union home secretary, seeking a detailed report in the matter.
It has also taken cognizance of reports regarding death of migrant labourers during train journey due to longer duration and no arrangements for drinking water and food etc.
Gujarat and Bihar are expected to specifically inform as to what steps were taken to ensure basic facilities, including medical, for the migrant labourers who boarded the trains. The response has been sought within four weeks.
“The contents of the media reports, if true, amount to gross violations of human rights. The aggrieved families have suffered irrevocable loss. The state has failed to protect the lives of the poor labourers on board the trains,” the NHRC observed in its statement.
“It is a matter of concern the poor labourers, who have already suffered a lot in distant places and are desperate to reach their homes to meet family members. are subjected to such a treatment by the Railway authorities, which borders around barbarism. The poor labourers cannot be treated in such an inhuman manner just because they are poor and the government has paid for their tickets,” it observed.
It said the complaints were being received from different parts of the country regarding unnecessary harassment of people by the public authorities. “It has emerged from the entire scenario that the people belonging to vulnerable classes have suffered the most,” it said.
{{/usCountry}}It said the complaints were being received from different parts of the country regarding unnecessary harassment of people by the public authorities. “It has emerged from the entire scenario that the people belonging to vulnerable classes have suffered the most,” it said.
{{/usCountry}}The commission observed that it was evident that, due to whatsoever reasons, the migrant labourers had started feeling uncomfortable and started protesting to reach their native places. “It was mandatory on the part of the host state to take care of them and to provide them basic amenities but the things gradually went out of control and the labourers, in large numbers, started moving on their own by different modes of transport and thousands of them chose to walk on foot,” it said.