Nearly three months after the infamous migrant labour protest, Paippad- a sleepy village on the outskirts of Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts, wears a desolate look these days.
The village, which had evolved as a hub of inter-State migrants over the last decade, came to a standstill during the three-month long lockdown as elsewhere. The country has since reopened but Paippad, with a near- total depletion in its work force, is yet to come alive.
As per estimates by the local panchayat, at least 5000 inter-State migrants, who were staying in as many as 106 labour camps here, have returned to their home States since May.
The actual number of workers residing in these camps was much higher but between 2,000 to 3,000 of them had left for their home States much before the lockdown.
“Only 83 of them, who chose not to go back, remain in about 17 of these camps as of now,” said Swapna Binu, president, Paippad panchayat.
According to her, the departure of workers at one go has dealt a huge blow to the local economic activity. From essentials to cellphones, the shops that did business among the community remain shut for most part of the day while there is zero demand for public transport, turning the roads empty. “The exodus has hit not just the village but the two districts to which it supplied the work force,” she added.
Commenting on the phenomenon, Vinod Kumar, District Labour Officer (Enforcement) in Kottayam, said all sectors – from agriculture to construction were hit by the return of workers.
“Around 20,000 of inter-State migrant workers in the district have returned since May where as about 10,000 of them, who are employed in the organised sector, have stayed back ,” he said.
Those who went are expected to return from August this year as the rail traffic between States returns to normality, he said.
The village grabbed national attention when a section of migrant workers on March 29 hit the streets, demanding help to return to their home States.