Coronavirus: Two migrant worker's babies die on Shramik Special trains in India

Migrants woes continue in India: Red Heatwave alert in northern parts of the country

On Monday, a one-month-old baby died of heat and dehydration, on one of India’s Shramik Special trains, that ferry stranded migrants back to villages. The incident took place on an Uttar Pradesh-bound train in which the newborn had to travel, for hours with fever.

Reportedly, he is the second infant to die on a Shramik train in the last five days. Twitter users are furious at the apathy shown to the situation of migrant workers in the country.

Death due to excessive heat and dehydration

The baby’s father, Sarvesh Singh, 35, lost his job in Mumbai during the lockdown. On Sunday, after paying Rs4,440 (Dh213) for two berths, he and his wife, along with the baby, boarded the train from Kalyan.

“Everything was fine till the train reached Jhansi station on Monday afternoon. After the train left the station we realised that the baby was restless and had fever. I informed a railway staffer on the train and he gave me the number of the railways’ control room. The man who picked up the phone said a doctor would attend to the baby at Orai railway station, 120km from Jhansi,” said Singh, according to news reports.

Two hours and 15 minutes later, when the train reached Orai station, doctors at the platform examined the baby and referred him to the district hospital. From there, they took the baby to the Women’s Hospital where a doctor declared him dead.

A doctor at Orai’s Women’s Hospital, said: “The baby had died by the time he was brought here. The cause of death was excessive heat and dehydration.”

The temperature was 45 degrees Celsius in Jhansi and Orai on Monday afternoon.

Another 10-month-old dies with fever

Just two days prior to this incident, a 10-month-old infant had died in Uttar Pradesh, aboard a Shramik train, after suffering from fever and breathing difficulties. The family alleged that the railways did not arrange for a doctor despite their repeated pleas, The Telegraph reported.

Reportedly, Dev Lal, the child’s grandfather, said that the family members had tried to speak to the Government Railway Police at many stations, including at Aligarh, where the train had halted. "But they showed no interest ...."

According to reports, doctors had been shifted to work at the hospitals focusing on COVID-19 patients, and by the time the family reached Tundla station, where the first doctor was made available, baby Raunak had already died.

Apparently, the child died two hours after the train had left Aligarh station and minutes before it reached Tundla at 8.30pm.

Suspecting that the child had died due to COVID-19, officials then took the family to a quarantine facility.

The matter came to light only two days later, when another person in a quarantine facility intimated journalists about the mother’s worsening condition.

Railway officials confirmed that a coronavirus test was conducted by the civil administration and “the results came out negative”.

Tweeps furious at government’s apathy

Sharing the report, tweep @stalinsachin asked: “Baby dies untreated on Shramik train. Who is responsible for this?”

Highlighting the indifference towards migrant workers’ pain and suffering, tweep @sinjain tweeted: “#MigrantWorker on Shramik Special died on Sat allegedly due to hunger. Nephew, who was accompanying him, said victim had not eaten anything in 60 hours. A 10-month-old baby died on another #ShramikSpecial. Insane diversions, inexplicable apathy…”

Asking media houses to highlight these cases, @DrGauravJainOMS called this: “….massive mismanagement and sheer misconduct.”

And tagging Railways minister, Piyush Goyal, law student @PragyaUike asked: “Who would you blame now @PiyushGoyal sir? Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra or Punjab?”

Twitter user @king_0183 also tagged the minister, and tweeted in Hindi: “I am ashamed of the government in our country…”

As, temperatures go up, another issue bothers these tweeps. How will the migrant labourers who are on roads and in non-air-conditioned trains, survive the sweltering heat that is about to hit the northern parts of the country.

The authorities sounded a red category alert for Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, west and east Rajasthan on May 25 and 26 for heatwave or severe heatwaves. A red category alert implies authorities should take action to avoid health emergencies.

Like many others, tweep @rkhuria posted about the issue. He wrote: “A very generous government has given Indian people option of dying of: Coronavirus, accidents, police beating and heat.”

And, tagging lawmakers @Shivraj72409946 tweeted: “@myogiadityanath, @PMOIndia, @HMOIndia Dear Sirs, please note that [there is] a heat wave in North India - Migrants are coming from other states! I request instruct all Gram pradhans (village heads), secretaries to make primary schools quarantine centers with charpoy and fans with family support.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of migrants are queuing up outside coronavirus screening centres across Delhi, despite the vicious heat wave and searing temperatures reaching up to 50 degrees Celsius.

Left without food or money, as they waited to be declared COVID-19 free and get a seat on special trains to their home states, they were told that "Shramik" trains will not run.

"We will die like this... because of hunger. I have been here since 11 am yesterday (Tuesday). We haven't even been given water and the police keep threatening us.” said Karishma Devi, 29, according to an ndtv.com report. She is eight months pregnant, and is looking for a train to Bihar, after she and her husband were thrown out of their home over non-payment of rent.

“Sir, this is not ‘new India’ and ‘Acche Din’ (good days, that were promised by the Bharatiya Janata Party during elections),” said Twitter user @PAarmish tweeting to members of the current Indian government: “For migrant workers, the Shramik Special trains you arranged have now become a disaster. Trains delayed, migrants died due to starvation and now a heat wave. No basic facilities given by @RailwaySeva.”