Migrants thank Jharkhand govt for bringing them back

Ranchi: Migrant labourers who have been brought back by the government have many expectations with the authorities. During a marathon webinar conducted by Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha, a conglomeration of rights groups, on Monday, most labourers praised the state government and its control centre that coordinated the efforts to bring them back. Some of the labourers have vowed never to go out of state again but also expressed their desire to get some sort of employment near their village.
Aniruddha, a plumber who worked in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, faced a nightmare during the lockdown after his employer stopped paying him his wages. “We had nothing to eat and our contractor said there was no work and he they had no money to pay us. We would have died of hunger if the Jharkhand government had not started the helpline. Once I registered myself with the helpline, we were contacted by some people at Bengaluru and provided with money. Arrangements were also made for our return. We would like to thank the state government for bringing us back,” he said.
The three-hour webinar, in which more than 250 workers from different parts of the state participated, was moderated by Elina Horro, a member of JJM and an activist with Women and Gender Resource Centre.
Horro said though more than 250 labourers were online during the discussion, only around two dozen could share their experiences. “Most of them have expressed their desire to stay in Jharkhand after what they experienced during lockdown. While many had to suffer because their masters stopped paying, some had nothing to eat and without a penny to come back on their own,” she said.
Some labourers, who were on the verge of dying of hunger, walked all the way to their homes. Sohray Marandi of Gomia in Bokaro, who was working in an iron casting factory in Karnataka said they were paid his contractor stopped paying wages during lockdown. “After more than a month with no money, returning home was the only option,” Marandi said, adding that he does not want to leave the state again.
Some of the labourers, particularly domestic helps, are scared about the government’s plan to offer only MNREGA jobs to them. One domestic helps who returned from Mumbai said she was comfortable at her place of stay but wanted to return when most people she knew started going back home. “I know working for MNREGA schemes is going to be tough for me, but at the same time, I do not like to return to Mumbai anymore,” she said.
James Herenj of NREGA Watch, who also participated in the webinar, shared the details the new schemes allowed by the state government under NREGA. He suggested the labourers to join NREGA work as long as they do not find another suitable job. “We will ask the state government to talk to the labourers, prepare a chart of skilled and unskilled workers and figure out some additional employment opportunities as per their abilities and expertise so that they are not forced to migrate again,” he said.