Gujarat coronavirus lockdown: Words of hope, despair from migrant workers at VMC schools

Luvkush who worked as a weaver at a textile unit in Pandesara and his colleagues are now housed in the school with eight rooms. The school also has a small play area, which is of help for the families carrying toddlers. Luvkush says, “We left because our employers told us to leave until the units would reopen. They did not even give us the money for the month of March. They gave us some money to travel back.”

Luvkush says he earns Rs 18,000 a month but the employer gave him Rs 4,000 and asked them to go back to their villages until the situation was normal. Rajkumari, who is a housewife, says, “Everyone was leaving so we did not think it would be wise to stay back. We lived in a rented place and so without money and uncertainty over when the units will open again, it was better to leave. I had trouble walking and getting in and out of transport trucks but had no option…I kept praying for my unborn baby. When the authorities told us to come to this shelter, we agreed.”

Migrant workers eating their meals at the VMC-run Rishi Vishwamitra school at Ajwa road. (Express Photo By Bhupendra Rana)

The migrants housed in the school say they have no problems at the shelter but would prefer to go back. “They are taking good care of us. We asked for milk for two children and they gave us half a litre for each child on both mornings that we have been here. Many social workers are coming offering food,” says Chandrakant Nishad, another migrant, a weaver from Surat.

He adds, “They examined us medically twice and we are fine. We are homesick as our families are away.” About 1.5 kilometres away, Rishi Vishwamitra School run by the civic body houses about 70 migrant workers who were travelling on trailer trucks from Hazira in Surat. The anger is palpable among this group of workers quarantined in the makeshift shelter at the school. The iron gates of the school are locked and guarded by seven policemen. There aren’t any families or women migrants here.

Each of the classrooms of the two-storey building resembles a shelter home, with about four men occupying it, some huddled together to play a game of cards while the rest are streaming videos on their mobile phones.
Mostly natives of Azamgadh in Uttar Pradesh, the men are truck drivers who worked for transport firms in Hazira. “We want to know why the authorities lied to us, pulled us out from a trailer we hired to take us to UP and locked us up in this jail-like set up as if we are convicted of murder,” bursts out Rahul Mishra, 22 , adding that they had paid the trailer Rs 2,500 each to reach UP.

Sunil Yadav, 25, says, “Some of us didn’t even have the money and we borrowed… Owners of our firms told us to leave immediately after the lockdown was announced. They refused to give us shelter, money or food. What option did we have.”

As some workers wait at the gates to check on a tempo loaded with food, Balkaran Varma, 28, from Raebareli says, “They are not even giving us proper food. The meals served here are so spicy that we are unable to eat them. We are being treated like criminals.”

One of the migrant workers wearing a protective mask. (Express Photo By Bhupendra Rana)

Many of them said the ‘jail-like’ environment is making them feel low. Mishra adds, “We are all healthy. Our medical checks have been completed. We are not the ones who brought this virus to this country. The rich are being treated like celebrities and we are being treated like criminals… We want to leave this place.”

Another migrant driver, Mohammad Salauddin, 32, said he has stopped calling his family — his wife and three daughters aged 5, 3 and 18 months old in UP. With tears in his eyes, he says, “I sent them Rs 5,000 in the beginning of March. The money is over. I wanted to go home to be there with them at such a time. We don’t have any family members in Ghazipur. My wife is scared and has nothing to feed the children. They are sobbing over phone and it is driving me crazy while being locked up here… I have stopped answering their calls.”

Police inspector suspended for thrashing vegetable sellers

A police inspector (PI) was suspended on Tuesday, after a video emerged of him thrashing vegetable sellers and overturning their carts in Nikol area of Ahmedabad during the lockdown, prompting Director General of Police (DGP) Shivanand Jha to take action.

According to officials, inspector VR Chaudhari, in charge of Krishna Nagar police station, was seen thrashing vegetable sellers with lathis and overturning their carts of fruits and vegetables. The Gujarat government has listed vegetables and fruits under “essential items” during the lockdown against coronavirus and exempted those selling them from the lockdown guidelines.

According to police, Chaudhari along with his team was patrolling on Tuesday around 11 am when at Nikol canal near Sundarvan Society, when he saw the vegetable sellers and assaulted them. The video of the incident was widely shared on social media on Tuesday morning, prompting senior police officers to take notice.

“The incident is extremely unfortunate and I have been appealing since the lockdown that the police must do their duty with sensitivity. The video footage in this incident is clear… as soon as it was brought under my notice, I informed Ahmedabad police commissioner Ashish Bhatia to suspend the officer immediately,” Jha said at a press conference in Gandhinagar on Tuesday.

“Such sort of behaviour is unacceptable and especially in uniform, such behaviour is absolutely prohibited. Wearing a khakhi uniform doesn’t mean one should start wielding lathi as per his whim… there should be sensitivity, especially towards the poor. The man in the video is trying to sell vegetables and fruits that are essential commodities… I want to give a clear message by suspending the PI and issuing a circular that the officers should not misbehave with people who are trying to transport or sell essential commodities,” added Jha.

Police officers said that a meeting was called between Ahmedabad police commissioner Ashish Bhatia, deputy commissioner of police Zone 4 Nirajkumar Badgujar, assistant commissioner of police G division AM Desai on Tuesday afternoon after which Chaudhari was suspended.

Police are now also looking to compensate the two vegetable sellers whose carts were damaged by the accused inspector. “Based on prima facie evidence, we have suspended Chaudhari and an investigation has been initiated. The post of Krishna Nagar PI on interim basis has been given to MB Barad, the second in charge of Sardarnagar police station… We are probing the incident and will take a decision regarding compensating the vendors,” said Badgujar. (ENS)

Vadodara-based company waivers school fees

Vadodara-based conglomerate, Alembic Group on Tuesday announced a fee waiver for parents who are unable to pay school fees for their children in the wake of the national lockdown to contain COVID-19.

“Alembic Vidyalaya and Utkarsh Vidyalaya are Gujarati-medium schools of the Alembic Group that cater to the working class. If parents are unable to pay the fees for quarter 4 of the current academic year, they may apply for a 100% waiver of quarter 4 fees and the trustees would consider the same. Parents of children at Tejas Vidyalaya who are impacted by the current lockdown may apply for up to 50% fees waiver for quarter 4 of the current year,” an official release stated on Tuesday.

The company has committed to sponsoring 10,000 tests for COVID-19 across the country. It has also opened up some of its hostel facilities for migrant workers who need shelter during the lockdown. The facilities include lodging and boarding at the Panelav plant located at Halol of Panchmahals district. (ENS)