Migrant workers began reaching the Ramleela Maidan here on Sunday, hoping to find conveyance that would take them home to Bihar and the eastern districts of Uttar Pradesh. Word had got around on the possibility of securing transport although the district administration was only using the sprawling ground as a designated stop for boarding buses to the railway station on the other side of the road in a densely populated area. By Monday, the crowd of anxious workers, many of whom had started on their long journey home by foot, had swollen to thousands.
Meagre shelter
As the Ramleela Maidan turned into a stage for their epic struggle, the meagre shelter available at the Ashok Vatika, named after the mythical forest, was hardly enough for workers waiting under the scorching sun, with dusty winds that easily penetrated their masks. The food being prepared at the Ram Bhavan also did not hold appeal.
“We are here to go home, not eat meals,” shouted Md Salim, who worked as cook at a restaurant in Ghaziabad. He added in frustration: “I want to go to Kishanganj and have been asked to change lines for the third time since morning. Kabhi kehte yahan lag jao, kabhi wahan (sometimes they say go here, sometimes there).”
Under the media’s gaze, the centrestage was held by administrative officials struggling to manage the sudden spurt in numbers with a common refrain: “What to do?”
As the workers rushed closer to the stage, officials could be heard talking down, “Taang tod denge tumhari (we will break your leg)”, followed by the request that they sit under the shade and wait for their turn. But the two available tents were hardly big enough to hold more than 25 persons in them.
No social distancing
There was no social distancing, and the police made no attempt to enforce it. “The situation is such that our constabulary might use force and it will create a scene,” an official said, requesting anonymity. This meant that there were only a few policemen on the ground to point workers in the right direction.
Officials were polite and workers were encouraged to ask questions in the presence of media. There were some feeble cries of “Murdabad” but as Additional District Magistrate (City) Shailendra Kumar Singh joined the group and listened to their grievances, there followed shouts of “Zindabad”. However, Mr. Singh had no answer when a worker asked him why they were being made to wait under the scorching sun without social distancing.
The announcements from the public address system were not always helpful. An official announced that people without passes for trains could board buses. This created confusion as lines formed in front of buses that were meant to take people with passes to the railway station. The official who made the announcement was censured by his superiors and the public address system was switched off.
Trains and buses
District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey told The Hindu that the administration was treating the workers as “bona fide passengers”. “We have arranged three trains for Patna, Muzaffarpur and Raxaul in Bihar, and three for Varanasi, Azamagarh and Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh. They will take around 9,000 workers daily to their homes. Those who are left will be sent by buses.”
The rush, he said, arose because only 25% of those who had gathered were registered on the Jansunwai portal. “The rest are all those who were walking home and were picked by the U.P. Police from different borders because the Chief Minister has said no worker should be found walking. Word has spread in neighbouring States that, somehow, just reach Ghaziabad [to get conveyance for the onward journey],” Mr. Pandey said.
“We are trying our best to streamline the process. Those who left for Bihar by trains today will be sent by 50 buses [to the railway station]. No pass will be required to board the bus. A list will be prepared that will be sent to the district administration of the destination,” he said. The way out, he explained, was more trains and buses. “If all of them have to be sent, we should consider starting the regular service,” he said.
The Ghaziabad Police have also become more cautious about bringing people walking on highways to shelter homes after the Station House Officer of Indirapuram was suspended and an explanation was sought from the Circle Officer when it was found that 16 workers in the Auriyya accident had boarded the vehicle from a place that fell under the jurisdiction of Indirapuram Police Station.
‘Medical done’
The phrase “their medical has been done” appeared loosely applicable. “It means their temperature has been taken and they have been asked about symptoms. But by now everybody comes after taking paracetamol,” said Sudip Kumar, a member of the Health Department team.
The situation improved by early evening with the National Disaster Response Force arriving at the Ramleela Maidan. But soon, migrants workers were seen queuing up for passes for the next morning. “What if someone has to go to Katihar?” asked Mohd Abad, with his family in tow.
Meanwhile, the district administration reiterated that only persons registered on the Jansunwai portal and having received an SMS should turn up at the Ramleela Maidan. Otherwise, their presence would be considered a violation of the lockdown.