Gujarat: After almost two months with little work, money, 47 migrant workers return to Bihar

On May 19, in the fourth phase of lockdown, the contractor was ready to walk back home. For this duration, the group of workers had been stranded without any work or money. “Our bags are packed and we are ready to walk to Bihar... We have no option left.”

On May 23, when Mukesh Kumar Sahni reached Muzaffarpur in Bihar and was put in quarantine at a government school, it had been 15 days since he had registered his name for a Shramik Special train from Ahmedabad.

Asharfi Lal Sahni (41), the contractor of 46 migrant labourers from Bihar, working on a high rise project in Science City of Ahmedabad, had boasted of having flown in a near-empty flight from Patna on March 22. Tasked with supervising these workers, Sahni had told this newspaper, “We would like to stay back… We have food to survive for a fortnight but there is no way we can reach Bihar doing what other migrant workers are doing (walking homeward).”

On May 19, in the fourth phase of lockdown, an anxious Sahni was ready to walk back home. For this duration, the group of workers had been stranded without any work or money. “Our bags are packed and we are ready to walk to Bihar… We have no option left.”

Sahni, a native of Ghosaut village under Minapur Taluka of Muzaffarpur, is a Mallah by caste — considered an extremely backward community — which forms a major chunk of Muzaffarpur’s population. All 46 migrant workers under Sahni are from different villages of Muzaffarpur district, majorly Mallahs, whom he had handpicked. They earned between Rs 400 and Rs 500 daily and had arrived in Ahmedabad in January.

Their homes at the project site were tin sheds with ample charging points, a few light bulbs and fans to beat the heat. When the tin quarter would heat up at noon, they would squat on piles of marble chips under the trees. Despite their employer providing them with some ration every fortnight, a sense of fatigue and desperation had engulfed them.

“For the past few days, my family has been calling me dozens of times. They want me to come back. They are scared that I will be left with no food and money,” Mukesh Kumar Sahni (19) had said.

“We have been eating daal chawal for the past two months from the ration kits that were provided to us. Since nearby shops are shut and we don’t have means to commute, we can’t buy vegetables or eggs,” Dhiresh Sahni had said.

On May 1, there was a glimmer of hope for these workers when the Centre had announced Shramik Special trains and Asharfi Lal was appointed their de-facto leader. According to them, he was the only one “who knew how to use a smartphone, register them online and make request calls on helpline numbers”.

“The phone operator picks up and says that there are no trains for Bihar right now. The online portal of the government doesn’t work whenever we try to register ourselves,” Ashrafi had said. Eventually, he and two other workers had walked to the Ghatlodia Mamlatadar office in Ahmedabad around five kms away, along with the company’s supervisor. They had all 47 workers registered.

However, unable to wait, five of the workers had began to walk back on May 10 “They got to know that once they reach Dahod and cross over to Madhya Pradesh, they can get lift in private vehicles to UP for Rs 2,500- Rs 3,000. And from UP, they could get a ride to Bihar border…Even the remaining workers are seriously considering the option,” Asharfi Lal had said.

Sandeep Dave, Deputy Mamlatdaar of Ghatlodia, had told The Indian Express, “We have already registered the workers’ group from Science City and a proposal has been sent to Bihar government. But we are not getting any reply from them. That is the reason for the delay.”

“Our family members back in Bihar watch on TV how the UP government is making arrangements for their workers to return. Here, our CM is not at all bothered about our plight. We wish we could fake our identity and get a seat in the UP bound trains,” Mausam Kumar had added.

Finally, It was around 10:30 pm on May 19 when Asharfi’s phone rang and his supervisor informed him to get the workers ready. They were asked to report to GMDC ground in Vastrapur. Around 4:30 am on May 20, they began walking to Vastrapur, 14 kms away, and reached at 7 am.

The Centre had announced that day that it would no longer seek approval of the destination states to send back migrants. According to the Bihar government, over one million workers were expected to arrive from various states back home.

It was around 2:30 pm that the workers’ group was finally asked to assemble in a line and walk to the medical screening section at the GMDC ground. The process took one-and-a-half hours, after which they were taken in buses to Kalupur. They then waited near the Ahmedabad railway station from 5 pm to 8.30 pm, till it was time to board the train. They reached Danapur on May 22, and took a connecting train to Muzaffarpur.

The workers knew they would be quarantined for 14 days back home in Muzaffarpur, but Ashrif is happy. “We will be able to see our family from a distance. They will be able to send us home cooked food.”