Visuals of migrants travelling with bodies create furore

Kanpur: Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren’s tweet on the extremely insensitive handling of Auraiya trailer-truck crash victims’ bodies created ripples both on social media as well as in state administration, following which district magistrate Auraiya Abhishek Singh ordered an inquiry.
One of the injured migrant labourers had posted videos and photos on social media showing workers sitting on one end of truck and dead bodies wrapped in black polythene lying on the other end.
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren had on Sunday tweeted, “This inhumane treatment of our migrant workers could possibly be avoided. I request @UPGovt and office of @NitishKumarji to arrange suitable transportation of bodies till Jharkhand border and we will ensure adequate dignified arrangements to their homes in Bokaro.”
In a face saving exercise, the authorities swung into action and transferred the bodies in ambulances at Prayagraj late Sunday night.
A truck driver also alleged that the bodies were not kept on ice and were just wrapped in black polythene. It was difficult to drive as unbearable stench was emanating from the bodies,” he said.
DM Abhishek Singh told TOI, “As maximum causalities were from Jharkhand, we had instructed officials to make proper arrangements for dispatching the bodies of the deceased migrant workers to their native places. I have ordered a probe. Besides, RTO officials would also be questioned as to how the injured were made to travel with dead bodies in truck.”
On Saturday, 26 migrant workers, including 12 from Jharkhand, were killed when the trailer they were travelling on rammed a lorry in Auraiya.
Auraiya SP Suniti said the injured persons seen travelling with dead bodies in videos and photos were those who had been discharged after treatment.
The opposition leaders lambasted the state government for the ‘insensitivity’. “The workers deserve humanitarian treatment,” said BSP supremo Mayawati.