NAGPUR: “We are outsiders...who knows if Maharashtra government’s welfare scheme covers workers from other states also,” says Naseem Malik, a migrant worker from West Bengal. He was among a group of nearly 20, who worked at a factory in Latur, at Nagpur railway station waiting to board Ahmedabad-Howrah Express to reach home in Bengal.
Once bitten, twice shy, those like Naseem did not want to take any chances after last year’s experience. “During the first lockdown, I was stranded in Mumbai and had to spend Rs12,000 along with others to hire a bus and reach home,” he said. For many TOI met, including Naseem, Rs12,000 was a month’s wage.
On the eve of new lockdown, which restricts movement of public in general once again, migrant workers were seen rushing to their home states. The Rs5,500 crore package announced by Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray made a little impact on the fleeing. The migrants preferred to reach home instead. The general notion was no relief would be reaching them.
Mohamed Ehsaan was resting at the bridge connecting platforms with his friends. Street vendors selling T-shirts, they were heading for Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. “What we earned has been sent home and some amount was spent on buying new stock. There is lockdown here, so we are leaving for Tirupati. There are no curbs in that state,” said Ehsaan from Bulandshahr in UP.
Next to him sat Riyazuddin from Bhopal with his family, which included women and children. And they had the same story to tell. Both shared their experiences of the previous lockdown. Traditional makers of bass instruments like drums and dafli, they were here since Holi, but had little luck this time, he says. They were going back to Bhopal.
Two days ago, railway station had only a handful passengers. On Wednesday, the rush was evident. With belongings packed in small shoulder bags, the migrants sat in small group. Most of these workers reached Nagpur in buses or trains from Pune, Latur, Solapur to even nearby towns like Wadasa Desaiganj, Jamb in Wardha district and were heading to Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha or neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. One again, Nagpur served as a transit hub and there were same stories about paltry wages and a bleak future.
Almost every worker TOI contacted said his wages were not more than Rs12,000 to Rs13,000 a month. Bipin Majhi, who worked at a brick kiln in Latur, said he got Rs13,000 and it was Rs6,000 for his wife. After a few months, they could manage to save Rs20,000. They wanted to reach home before the situation worsened.
Some distance away, despite sweltering heat, workers sat patiently in buses parked along Kamptee Road. Others waited in a queue outside to enter as the conductor called out each name. Those taking the buses were heading towards Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. On being asked, many said they were leaving for a personal reason. Marriage was the stock answer as others standing by admitted they were all leaving due to lockdown.
There were workers from other states also. Noorul Hasan, a textile unit worker in Tamil Nadu, was going to Allahabad. “Who knows... they will clamp a lockdown even there... like last year,” he said. For Hassan, who has been in Tamil Nadu for two decades, he continues to live on meagre wages. There were others from Telangana scrambling towards their hometowns for the same reason.