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West Bengal migrants upset over cancelled train
When a group of migrants heard that Shramik train to Howrah in West Bengal has been cancelled because of cyclone Amphan, they rushed to Panvel railway station on
When a group of migrants heard that Shramik train to Howrah in West Bengal has been cancelled because of cyclone Amphan, they rushed to Panvel railway station on Tuesday to verify it.
Sajida Noor, 30, was one of them. She had packed her bags and was all set to leave her rented home at Kamothe. When she learnt that the train was cancelled, she was disheartened.
Noor, husband works at a construction site, came to Kamothe four months ago with her eight-month-old girl.
“It was a lengthy process to get ourselves registered at the police station. We waited for more than three hours in the sun for our turn and now this,” said Noor, who worked as a domestic help.
Navi Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Kumar appealed to migrant not to rush and gather at the railway station. “The train to West Bengal has been cancelled and any change would be communicated to migrants. Also, unless one gets a call from the police, no one should rush to the railway station. The date of the journey on the pass is tentative as a lot of trains are being cancelled and rescheduled daily.”
While many migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have left the city by special trains, Bengal migrants have been stuck as the West Bengal government’s approval came late.
“There is no assurance of trains now. We don’t want to starve to death or depend on others. We will hire a vehicle and leave,” said Arun Singh, 39, who worked at construction sites.
Activist Vijay Patil, who has been coordinating with migrants for their travel, is flooded with calls from West Bengal migrants.
“I keep telling them that they should wait for trains to start and that they should not travel by road or foot,” Patil said.
Those migrants, who live with families, are more desperate to return home.
“We have been waiting for more than two months now. It is becoming difficult to feed my family. We will start our journey no matter what,” said Sunil Rao, 40, who lives in Kalamboli and worked as a labourer.
