Dahej police’s gesture wins hearts of migrants at Jolva village

Surat: Things have returned to normal at Jolva village in Bharuch’s industrial belt of Dahej which was scene of unrest for a couple of days when irate migrant workers blocked Bharuch-Dahej highway and pelted stones at police vehicles. A humanitarian approach by police to feed about 7,000 migrant workers of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar stranded in the village twice a day has calmed them down, who until now were on the warpath with the demand that trains be arranged for them to go their hometowns. The migrant unrest in Jolva village started on May 14 and continued for two more days, forcing police to burst several teargas. Dahej police have been visiting Jolva village for the last three days to feed the migrants.
AP Gohil, police inspector of Dahej, told TOI, “Work and wages of these migrant workers have dried up due to extended lockdown and they now want to return home as early as possible. When we apprehended a few migrant workers, they complained they were not getting food to eat. We approached owners of industrial units in Dahej and with their financial aid are feeding 7,000 migrants in Jolva twice a day. Also, we have distributed about 700 grocery kits.”
“We have developed a bond with the migrants now. We are sure they won’t indulge in violence and wait patiently for their turn to board the shramik special trains,” Gohil said.
Rajendrasinh Chudasama, superintendent of police, Bharuch, said, “We tried to understand the problem of migrants. We learnt that they don’t have money to eat and all they wanted was to go home. We immediately decided to start giving meals twice a day to them until the time they board the trains to their hometowns in different states.”