To Leave or Not to Leave?

Lockdown, Migrant Workers, and Their Journeys Home

A Report by the Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN)

June 5, 2020
The Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN) has
been actively involved in relief work from March 27th
in the form of zonal helplines by connecting workers to
organisations and the government for rations. SWAN
has interacted with about 34,000 workers across the
country. Since many workers have been in dire need of
cash for basic essentials, SWAN has solicited financial
support from individuals who have directly transferred
money to the workers’ accounts. To date, SWAN has
transferred more than Rs 50 lakhs directly to the
workers’ accounts. Since the first lockdown, SWAN
released one report on April 14th and another on May
1st.

Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN) would like

to thank our donors for their support that enabled
cash transfers to the workers in need. We acknowledge
individuals and civil society organisations who
responded to our requests to provide rations and
other essentials to the stranded workers. We also wish
to acknowledge officials who responded to requests
for help with promptness. We thank the workers for
sharing the stories and pictures of their journey with
us.

Facebook: Stranded Workers Action Network

Twitter: @StrandedWorkers
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://strandedworkers.in/
To Leave or Not to Leave?
Lockdown, Migrant Workers, and Their Journeys Home

A Report by the Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN)

Introduction
announced so far by the Centre
The fourth phase of lockdown was and states combined is Rs 1.42 lakh
completed on May 31st. The Ministry crores contrary to the Centre’s claims
of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an order of Rs 1.7 lakh crores. A petition for
dated May 30th, with guidelines wage payments to migrant workers
for ‘phased reopening (Unlock during the first phase of lockdown
1.0)’. The same was reiterated by filed in the Supreme Court (SC)2 was
the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra disposed off on April 21st, on grounds
Modi in the popular ‘Mann ki Baat’ that the bench was satisfied with the
address to the nation. Each stage governments’ efforts to provide relief.
of lockdown has been characterised As outlined in the first two SWAN
by different types of distress faced reports, access to government relief
by the migrant workers. In the first was a far cry for migrants. More than
two stages of the lockdown the 82 percent of those who reached
main concern and need of stranded out to SWAN had not received
migrants were food and some money any government rations and about
in hand to buy basic essentials. While 70 percent had not received any
migrants were struggling to meet cooked food. About two-thirds
food and cash needs, their woes of those who reached out till the
were compounded by the chaos second phase of lockdown had
created by the Central government less than Rs 100 left.
vis-a-vis travel for the migrants. The
spate of deaths of migrant workers As the second phase of lockdown
in road accidents, exhaustion due to was drawing to a close, on April
walking long distances, dehydration, 29th, the MHA issued its first travel
hunger, and police brutality continue order permitting movement of
unabated. In light of this, it is worth inter-state migrants. An MHA order
recalling the steps taken by the dated May 1st permitted the travel
Central government and the judicial of inter-state migrants by special
response to the crisis. trains to be operated by the Ministry
of Railways (MoR). Since April 29th,
The first financial package, Pradhan the MHA has issued at least eight
Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY), different travel orders. In the section
announced by the Finance Minister on travel that follows, we outline the
(FM), Nirmala Sitharaman, had maze of obfuscating orders that have
nothing to offer for the migrant created more chaos, destruction, and
workers. Moreover, the PMGKY also deaths. Since the Central government
makes some incorrect claims. As permitted inter-state travel for migrants,
numerous economists and even as the abysmal travel arrangements
per the International Monetary Fund’s meant that many migrants decided
estimate1, India’s actual spending to escape the distress on cycles or
5
in cramped lorries. Many decided to ensure that 8 crore migrants will
walk thousands of kilometres making be given 5 kgs of grain per person
the metaphor of ‘footloose workers’ and 1 kg of chana per family for 2
become an uncomfortable reality. months for migrants who are ‘neither
On May 9th, sixteen migrants were NFSA (National Food Security Act) or
crushed to death by a train in state card beneficiaires’. This begs an
Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, as important question. When the Central
they collapsed and fell asleep with government was now aware of the
exhaustion on the railway tracks on rough estimates of the number of
their way home. inter-state migrants, how were they
satisfied with the submission in April
Forty-five days into the manufactured that 15 lakh migrants were being fed
crisis, the FM announced a relief in shelters? What about the rest that
package titled ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ are not in shelters but are still stranded
(Self-Reliant India) on May 14th. without food, cash and work? More
A part of the scheme focussed importantly, how did the judiciary
on improving the conditions of approve this abysmal undercounting
the ‘poor, including migrants and as acceptable on the part of the
farmers.’ Two immediate things from government? The FM’s announcements
the FM’s Atmanirbhar package are therefore refute the Solicitor General’s
noteworthy to mention here. First, it remarks and expose the government’s
finally acknowledged that ‘migrants flip-flop on the situation of stranded
in various states require food grain migrant workers.
assistance’. This automatically refutes
the hasty pronouncement by the According to the Atmanirbhar package
Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta who announced in mid-May, the Central
representing the Union Government government further announced
in the apex court in the first week of that it will foot the bill of Rs 3,500
April, had vociferously claimed that crores for rations. While this is a
the PMGKY relief package ‘takes welcome move, it comes a little too
care of the daily needs of every poor late when migrants have already
person including migrants.’ started commuting. The details of
identification and distribution have
Second, in a self-congratulatory been rightfully left to the states.
manner, in the first week of April However, most migrants are not in
the Government of India (GoI) had government shelters but stay in small
submitted in the SC that they were rented spaces close to their work
feeding 15 lakh migrants in relief sites. They are rarely registered with
shelters across the country. However, the state governments. The Ministry
in the new package they announced of Labour does not have records of
that the Central government will stranded migrants despite the Chief
6
Labour Commissioner asking its effort of 130 crore Indians’5. This came
regional head to furnish this in the 2 days after the FM’s announcement
first week of April3. State governments that finally acknowledged the plight of
are struggling to complete surveys of migrant workers. Notwithstanding the
households and identifying migrants glaring insensitivity of the comment, it
and 2 weeks since the announcement is also not borne out by what various
we have no comprehensive picture surveys and testimonies indicate.
on how many stranded migrants For instance, a survey of more than
have been identified and how many 5,000 households across ten states
have received the promised grain. An conducted by Azim Premji University
illustrative example of implementation (APU)6 presents a grim picture. As
hurdles is that of Haryana, which has per the APU survey, 77 percent
a large inflow of migrant workers. of all the households have been
Despite an order announcing the consuming less food than before and
distribution of distress rations to non- 47 percent of the households do not
ration card holders on April 14th, the have money to even buy a week’s
state government is still entangled worth of essentials. Roughly one in
in completing household surveys, four vulnerable households did not
verifying lists and printing coupons. receive any rations. Only 31 percent
The actual distribution of ration to curb out of 347 households surveyed
distress remains a distant reality4. by Dvara Research7, indicated that
ration shops were open as usual.
The Atmanirbhar package also In a survey of 5,046 households
promises ‘Hygienically prepared three across 15 states, conducted by Indus
meals a day provided for the residents Action, around one in six households
of Shelters for Urban Homeless (SUH) indicated that they were in need of
during the lockdown w.e.f March 28, food. Every survey, including the
2020’. However, a majority of stranded insights from SWAN’s own relief work
migrants are not in shelter homes and paint the same picture of dire hunger,
there has been no attempt made by starvation and lack of money to buy
government agencies to relocate the basic essentials. And yet, the ruling
stranded migrants to government dispensation continues to turn a blind
shelters in a dignified manner. eye to the stark realities.

On May 16th, the Union Minister

of Railways, Piyush Goyal, in his
keynote address at Bennett University
said ‘We have gone through the entire
three months without a single person
starving. That’s not just the effort of the
Centre or state governments. It is the
7
‘We have gone
through the entire
three months without
a single person
starving. That’s not
just the effort of
the Centre or state
governments. It is
the effort of 130 crore
Indians’.
Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Railways

8
 The Courts and Migrants
The impact on livelihoods have been While the role of several High Courts
equally devastating. In particular, (HCs) in dealing with the migrant
the destructive impact on livelihoods worker crisis has been commendable,
of women has been more. As per the SC has, however, acted with
the APU survey, among the urban alarming apathy. This has resulted
workers surveyed, 82 percent of in a growing loss of faith in the
female casual workers and 80 apex court. In dismissing a Public
percent of male casual workers Interest Litigation (PIL) on April 9th,
have lost employment. 89 percent of concerning wage compensation for
self-employed female workers and migrant workers, the Chief Justice
77 percent of self-employed male of India (CJI) had remarked ‘if they
workers have lost employment. What are being provided food then why
is worse is that the lockdown has also do they need money for meals. How
resulted in job losses for the regular can we stop it?’ said the SC bench
salaried workers. More than three headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao
out of four female and male urban while dismissing a plea by lawyer
salaried workers have lost jobs. To Alakh Alok Srivastava on May 15th
add to these woes, a whopping 89 referring to incidents where migrants
percent of urban households reported were killed while walking home. The
that they cannot pay the next month’s plea sought a directive from the
rent and about 41 percent of urban Centre to all district magistrates to
households reported that they had identify and provide food and shelter
to take loans to meet expenses. For to stranded workers. The Solicitor
rural households, these numbers are General Tushar Mehta said, ‘states
around 65 percent and 33 percent are providing interstate transport. But
respectively. Most of these loans are if people get angry and start on foot
likely from private money lenders who instead of waiting for the transport to
charge exorbitant interest rates. All be provided nothing can be done. We
these point to how a large part of the can only request that people should
migrant workforce has been pushed not walk. Using force to stop them
to the edge of existence. After facing would be counterproductive’. In
such an onslaught of indignity and response to the question on the death
hostility, it is natural that the migrant of 16 migrants being run over by a
workers would want to head back train in Aurangabad district, the bench
home. The Central government has said ‘How can anybody stop this when
demonstrated appalling apathy in they sleep on railway tracks?’
ensuring safe and dignified travel for
migrants. On the other hand, 12 HCs have
responded with empathy8. Most
recently, referring to the travel situation
9
‘States are providing
interstate transport.
But if people get
angry and start on
foot instead of waiting
for the transport to
be provided nothing
can be done We can
only request that
people should not
walk. Using force to
stop them would be
counterproductive.’
10
as ‘nothing but a human tragedy’, the a dead man found in the bathroom
Madras HC remarked ‘even after the of a train, among several others have
sorrow and sufferings were reported redrawn the development map of
in the media, nothing happened for India. The Central government has at
the past one month as there was no best created an archive of distress
coordinated effort between States’. and a museum of misery. The eerie
The Madras HC directed the Central silence of the otherwise vocal Home
and the state government to submit Minister, the platitudes of the Prime
an ‘Action Taken Report’ based on Minister and the apathy of the SC only
12 critical questions by May 22nd. reaffirm that the dignity of migrant
Taking note of the ‘lapses’ on part workers is neither a concern for the
of the Central and state government legislature nor of the apex court.
in dealing with migrant workers, on
May 28th the Allahabad HC asked ‘the concept of a Welfare State
the state government to ‘give a has been consistently a part of our
complete layout to reduce migration Constitutional philosophy. Today,
of the natives of Uttar Pradesh to because of the reluctance of the
other parts of the country to earn state government to bear the train
minimum livelihood’9. The Karnataka fare of the migrant workers who
HCs intervention on May 21st in are not in a position to pay, apart
directing the state government to bear from the allegation that it will
the costs of migrant workers’ travels violate the fundamental rights of
has also been notable10 and says ‘the the migrant workers, they will be
concept of a Welfare State has been forced to continue to stay in the
consistently a part of our Constitutional state. They will have to look upon
philosophy. Today, because of the the state government for providing
reluctance of the state government food and other necessities…’
to bear the train fare of the migrant
workers who are not in a position to On May 25th, in an attempt to restore
pay, apart from the allegation that it faith in the judiciary, 20 senior SC
will violate the fundamental rights advocates wrote a scathing letter11
of the migrant workers, they will be to the CJI and other senior judges
forced to continue to stay in the state. of the SC seeking cognizance of
They will have to look upon the state the SC in the biggest humanitarian
government for providing food and crisis in independent India. Urging
other necessities’. the SC to act, the letter stated that
‘institutional deference to statements
The visuals of a small child trying to made on behalf of the government
wake up his dead mother in a railway and the court’s apparent indifference
station, injured migrants being shoved to this enormous humanitarian crisis,
in the same lorry with dead people, would if not rectified immediately,
11
amount to the court having abdicated
its constitutional role and duty to
these teeming millions of poor,
hungry migrants’. It took a bouquet
of grim statistics, large scale deaths,
deplorable images on the television,
among others for the SC to finally
wake up. The SC took suo moto
cognizance of the situation on May
28th. Despite the massive delay in
responding proactively to the crisis,
we welcome the interim orders of the
SC which are broadly aligned with
SWAN’s recommendations on travel in
its two reports and in pleas made to
various government agencies through
letters.

12
‘institutional deference
to statements made on
behalf of the government
and the court’s apparent
indifference to this
enormous humanitarian
crisis, would if not
rectified immediately,
amount to the court
having abdicated its
constitutional role and
duty to these teeming
millions of poor, hungry
migrants.’
13
14
Damned If You Go Damned,
If You Stay Since April 29th, there have been
seven different travel orders for
Between May 9th and May 27th, migrant workers. On May 11th, the
there have been 80 deaths on board MHA issued an 8 point Standard
the Shramik Special trains as per Operating Procedure (SOP) for inter-
official data from the Railway Police state travel of migrant workers. In
Force (RPF)12. Acknowledging the response, SWAN had sent a letter to
deplorable state of affairs in these the MHA highlighting the gaps in the
trains, a zonal officer of the railways SOP and presented a detailed SOP
has said that ‘Heat, exhaustion and for travel of migrant workers. In turn,
thirst are among the primary issues the MHA released an order on May
faced by the passengers on board 16th giving the details of a National
these trains’. On the contrary, the Migrant Information System (NMIS)
railway ministry said in a statement by the National Disaster Management
that ‘It has been observed that some Authority. However, the portal itself
people who are availing this service has been a mystery given that a link
have pre-existing medical conditions to it was available only on May 20th.
which aggravates the risk they face Some inquiries to the ministry had
during the Covid-19 pandemic. A few revealed that in fact this portal is not
unfortunate cases of deaths related to meant for the public at the moment
pre-existing medical conditions while but is only meant for administrators
travelling have happened’. with login access. It is unclear why a
press statement was released by the
Keeping in mind that workers have MHA if the portal is not public. The
faced severe hostility and indignity for portal appeared to be a platform only
the last 2 months, it is imperative that to collect migrant workers’ information
the MoR adopts a humane approach without detailing how that information
to the repatriation of migrants. To this would be used.
end, any travel order should ensure
that workers are able to exercise There were at least a few major
their right to return with ease. Barring concerns with this portal. First,
one letter dated May 18th sent by many workers had registered in
Ajay Bhalla, Secretary, MHA, to all police stations and in different state
the Chief Secretaries, every order governments’ websites. There is
has been lacking in imagination and no clarity on what will happen to
empathy. In fact, even the letter sent those. Second, it does not give any
to all Chief Secretaries is not easily acknowledgement once a worker
available in the public domain. The registers on it. Third, it is unclear
orders appear to be an afterthought how trains are going to be scheduled
in trying to contain this manufactured based on the information collected
crisis instead of resolving it. here. Fourth, the May 16th order
15
states that mobile numbers will Each such shelter should have
be used for ‘contact tracing and multiple worker facilitation centres.
monitoring movement during covid Each such facilitation centre should
19’. However there was no indication have separate dedicated registration
that these mobile numbers will also be counters for high density destination
used to send important information to states such as Bihar, Jharkhand and
migrants on their travel application Odisha. This is to smoothen the travel
status, train booking, date and point registration process. Second, whether
of boarding etc. While there are some online or offline registration, workers
merits of scheduling travel through a should receive an acknowledgement
single portal, a solely technological that the registration has been done
solution to what is a massive logistical, and should be provided a time-
institutional and a humanitarian crisis, bound tentative date of journey to
is highly insufficient. As the large reduce anxiety. Third, there is an
crowds that gathered in Ghaziabad on urgent need to increase transparency
May 18th13 to register for travel made and awareness about the train/bus
clear, the repatriation of migrant schedules. Finally, there is a dire need
workers will need much more than a to increase the number of trains and
technological fix. buses that workers can travel for free.

In the MHA order dated May 19th, the Migrant Workers Still
MHA has instructed the MoR to issue Stranded: No Food, No Cash
train schedules and protocols for And No Work
movement of passengers. However,
plans, schedules or timelines are not From May 15th to June 1st, based
specified. None of the MHA orders on 821 distress calls received that
even make an attempt to create corresponds to 5,911 migrant workers
multiple worker-facing offline access from across the country, we find that
points for workers to register to travel, 80 percent still do not have access to
which can then be bulk uploaded government rations. There has been
on this platform. In the letters sent some improvement since May 22nd
to the MHA, SWAN has outlined that but the massive exclusion 2 weeks
the minimal major requirements at after the announcement indicates
this point are the following: First, that food distress amongst stranded
increase the number of government migrants remains almost as high as
run shelters. Special Economic Zones, the first phase of the lockdown.
malls, marriage halls, army areas,
public and private colleges, public • About 76 percent of people who
and private schools etc in each ward have called us since May 15th
need to be converted to sanitised have less than Rs 300 left with
temporary government shelters. them and 72 percent of people
16
 Percentage of people who have not received rations from the government

90 88.8% 88.7% 88.8% 88.7%

86.8%
86.2%
85.7%
85.1%
Percentage of Stranded Workers

85 84.3% 84.2%
83.5%
83% 83.1% 82.9%

81.4%
80.7%
79.9%
80 79.3%

75

70

May 15 May 16 May 17 May 18 May 19 May 20 May 21 May 22 May 23 May 24 May 25 May 26 May 27 May 28 May 29 May 30 May 31 Jun 01
Date

Figure 1: Percentage of People Who have Not Received Government Rations

have less than Rs 200 left with the respondent’s response is valid
them. 63 percent of people have only for that person and does not
less than Rs 100 left with them. reflect the thought of the group. Calls
• About 57 percent of the people were made to 1,963 workers. However
sent in ‘SOS’ calls (representing not all questions were answered by
820 people) with no money or those who answered the call. We have
rations left or had skipped the indicated the total number of those
previous meal. This is a sharp who have responded to each question
increase of 7 percentage points in parenthesis for easy reference.
from the second phase of
lockdown. • 67 percent (of 1,963) migrants are
still stuck in the same place since
The following results are based on the lockdown was announced,
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) only 33 percent have left.
calls (done in collaboration with
https://gramvaani.org/), where we • Figure 2 indicates the number of
called back some of the migrant workers who are stranded and
workers who had reached out to us those that have returned to their
during the lockdown period and who home states. Jharkhand has the
have been provided some assistance highest proportion of migrant
through SWAN. Here we assume that workers who have reached home
17
 Home States of the Stranded Workers

144
Number of Workers

480
Where are the workers?
In transit or reached home
82
Stranded
20

94 7
71
7
45

18

Bihar Jharkhand Uttar Pradesh West Bengal Maharashtra

State of Origin

Figure 2: Stranded in Host States and Returned to Home States

or are en route.

Lack Of Cash, Food And ‘sentiment’ alone as the narrative

Income Security Pushes that has been whipped up by
Migrant Workers To Want To some media houses and officials
Leave Immediately suggests. 75 percent (of 1,124)
who are still stuck in places they
• Of those who are stuck, 55 have migrated to for work, do not
percent (out of 1,166) want to go have any employment.
home immediately. This figure is
higher than when we asked the • It is perhaps some kind of silver
same set of workers this question lining to note that 75 percent of
at the end of April. At that point migrant workers (of 1,582) are not
33 percent wanted to leave being threatened with eviction by
immediately after the second their landlords. But this may very
phase of lockdown ended. This well be the case because they
flies in the face of government are leaving anyway and landlords
claims that most migrants have do not want to lose potential rent.
returned home and that Shramik
trains are no longer needed. • Of those (585) who had left the
cities and their places of work, 88
• The desire to return home percent had reached home and
immediately is not being driven by 12 percent were still in transit.
18
 If you are on the way or have reached home, how did you travel?
40.9% 40.6%
40
Percentage of responses (out of 540)

30

20

12.4%

10
6.1%

Bus Train Truck By foot

Figure 3: Modes of Transportation to Return Home

• 44 percent of those who have

left took buses and 39 percent
managed to get on a Shramik
special. 11 percent took trucks,
lorries and other such modes of
transport while 6 percent made
the perilous journey on foot. (See
Figure 3)

19
 How much money did you spend on travel?
62.3%
60
Percentage of responses (out of 520)

40

20

14.6% 13.8%

4.8% 4.4%

No money spent Less than Rs. 500 Rs. 500 − Rs. 1000 Rs. 1000 − Rs. 1500 More than Rs. 1500

Figure 4: Money Spent on Travel

There Is No Such Thing As

A Free Ticket presume that the results from
the survey represent workers
• The SC issued an interim order who have not been paid during
on May 28th that migrants will the lockdown. It is clear then,
not have to pay for travel. This that any journey home, a month
came too late. More than 85 later, with no new source of
percent of the migrant workers income would have to be made
who have returned home or are on borrowed money.
in transit have had to incur costs
for this journey.

• As the SWAN report published on

May 1st highlighted, 64 percent
of the workers who reached
out to us were down to their
last hundred rupees. Moreover,
since only 19 people (out of
1,963) who answered our IVR
survey have been paid during
the lockdown, it is safe to

20
 Since the beginning of lockdown, how much have you taken as loan for rations, etc?

50 48.3%
Percentage of responses (out of 1559)

40

30

20
16.4%
15.1%

11.4%

10
8.8%

Have not taken any loan Less than Rs. 2000 Rs. 2000 − Rs. 5000 Rs. 5000 − Rs. 8000 More than Rs. 8000

Figure 5: Loans Taken

• It is not surprising therefore, that

48 percent (of 1,559 people) have
taken loans between Rs 2,000
and Rs 5,000 during this period.
30 percent have taken loans of
more than Rs 5,000 (See Figure 5)

21
Overcrowded trains with two to a berth
22
Following the Worker’s Jour-
ney Home • Bribes paid for travel

The remarkable resistance and • Unhelpful police

resilience demonstrated by the migrants
during this lockdown period has forced • Walking home: In despair and
the government and the judiciary to tired of waiting for options to
respond. This section captures the travel
experiences of migrants as they
navigate the lockdown and make the • Road travel: Risks in hitchhiking
long journey home. Their stories are and high costs of private transport
as winding and complex as the paths
they have had to take. Each story has • A tedious and costly journey
its own set of contingencies, risks and ending with issues of quarantine
outcomes. We have tried to preserve
the conversational flow between the
worker and the SWAN volunteer.

These cases are organised under the

following themes:

• Eviction by landlords, and

employers coupled with travel
uncertainty

• Paying to fill travel forms

• No prior information about trains

• Issues with regard to travel

registration and shelters for
migrants

• Poor facilities on trains especially

access to food and water

• No trains from smaller towns and

between certain locations

• Dynamic pricing of IRCTC tickets

coupled with non-availability of
Shramik trains
23
A horrific case of two Adivasi compensation under the Bonded
women from Jharkhand trafficked Labour Act with urgency. The
from Dumka district of Jharkhand Labour Department has ensured
to Bengaluru via Delhi came to our that the factory owner has paid
attention recently. The two women the pending dues with interest
arrived in Bengaluru in October and penalties. However, the
2019 to work in an incense factory administrative processes to register
called Bharat Chemical Products police complaints by the already
where they were illegally confined. traumatised and the vulnerable
They were promised monthly are complicated. With the legally
wages of Rs 9,000 but had received mandated district Local Complaints
only Rs 200 per week. They were Committees (LCC) being almost
made to work 15 hours a day, were non-existent, it is difficult for women
beaten up repeatedly and one of the to access the judiciary. Therefore
women was raped inside the factory the process of redressal is near
premises twice. impossible without civil society
intervention.
They escaped the factory in March
2020. Due to a series of positive
coincidences, exemplary courage These women’s ordeal is one of many
demonstrated by the two women, experiences of forced suffering and
and a construction labourer from humiliation that the unorganised
Jharkhand called Nicholas Murmu, workers have undergone over
they managed to reach out to civil decades. The lockdown has exposed
society groups. Subsequently, two the frailties of those who have been
FIRs have been filed against the forced to occupy the cracks and
perpetrators of rape and violence crevices of our society for too long.
and the two women with their The PM’s calibrated silence on the
children are now safe. A complaint issue of women migrants is deeply
against the factory owner has been disconcerting. This also shows that
registered. lack of the government mandating
private companies to maintain clear
We welcome the promptness with and transparent records of workers
which the Karnataka administration in their firm opens more avenues
and Jharkhand police have for multiple forms of exploitation.
responded. The concerned counterproductive.
police acted with urgency and
the Social Welfare Department
issued a compensation cheque
to the rape survivor quickly. The
Revenue Department has issued
24
Eviction by Landlords, and
Employers Coupled With day, which was May 18th. The police
Travel Uncertainty station where they had to report
though was nearly 20 kms away. It
Raimal, part of a group of 40 workers was already night and it was also
from Chinnapandu, Chittoor, Andhra raining. With no public transportation
Pradesh reached out to SWAN on available, the group had to take a
May 18th. They all worked for Apollo taxi for Rs 1,500. At the police station,
tyres, but had received proper food Sanoj and others were apprehensive.
and shelter from the company only for They were unable to figure out the
a month. The local tehsildar was also procedures for medical check-up as
aware of their situation, but both the language was a huge barrier. The fact
contractor and the tehsildar kept giving that they had to deal with the police
promises about providing rations but was even more intimidating. They
never delivering the same. It was finally boarded the bus where their
through a local group that rations were train ticket was handed to them. While
finally arranged for them. On May 21st the cost of train travel printed on the
they started walking to Jharkhand train ticket was Rs 1,020, they paid Rs
and walked to the Chittoor railway 1,100.
station 100 kms away. After SWAN
contacted the district administration,
the administration facilitated their train
journey to Jharkhand on May 22nd.

Sanoj was one among 15 migrant

workers hoping to return to their home
state, Jharkhand. They had been
evicted by their landlord on May 10th.
Left with no option they were living
on a pavement outside a hospital in
Bengaluru, close to the police station
where travel registrations were done,
waiting for their turn to register. The
group lived on the pavement for a Bablu Kuski, part of a group of 26
week, with difficulty in accessing food workers used to work in a factory
and receiving no help from the police in Devanahalli, in the outskirts of
in finding shelter either. Through sheer Bengaluru and reached out to SWAN
luck—information that seats were in the first week of May. The members
available on a train were shared by of this group were from different
a local contact of SWAN—Sanoj and states—Odisha, West Bengal and
a few in his group were able to get Jharkhand. Desperate to leave for
tickets to travel to Jharkhand the next their homes, they had submitted their
25
resignation to the company and their of 60 kms and were anxious till the
manager. When they called SWAN, last moment that they would not reach
one of the main concerns was the fear in time to get a token. They reached
of eviction, as they had been asked to the police station, but the processing
vacate their rooms which had been centre was a little distance away and
arranged by the company. But when uphill, forcing those who had come
the lockdown was relaxed in mid-May to register to scramble up the slope
the manager asked them to resume carrying their heavy luggage. After
work and said their pending wages registering they had to wait in an open
too would be paid. But the group ground from 8 am to 3 pm. There
still wanted to go home. Those from was no shade, no food or water in
Odisha and Jharkhand together hired the processing centres. The only relief
a bus and left Bengaluru on May 21st was that after their ordeal they were
paying Rs 6,000 per head. The money able to catch the train home to West
was sent to them by their family Bengal.
members back home. The workers
from West Bengal were still stranded Kamal and seven others were
as there were no trains plying to the stranded in Gubbi, Tumkur,
state, and there was the additional Karnataka, and were trying to go
issue of travel disruption owing to the to West Bengal, but there were no
Cyclone Amphan. trains at that time for West Bengal.
They had also registered on the
On May 27th, SWAN contacted the Seva Sindhu portal (web portal for
Deputy Commissioner of Police who travel registration) of the Karnataka
said that tokens to travel to West government. They had reached out
Bengal would be given at a particular to SWAN on May 7th. At that time,
police station. In Bengaluru, a system their employer was asking them to
for zone-wise distribution of tokens return to work, but there were unpaid
for train travel in police stations had wages amounting to Rs 96,000 and
been initiated, adding to the already no promise of being paid for the
chaotic situation around travel. The work they would do. When Kamal’s
information on which zones, and group refused to work, the employer
which specific police station in a zone threatened to evict them from where
was issuing tokens on a particular day they were staying. SWAN, along with
was very difficult to come by, causing local labour rights activists, convinced
confusion and panic as workers tried them to stay where they were till
to cut across the city with little time they received a message for a train
and almost no money in hand. The to West Bengal. After a few failed
workers faced a lot of difficulty in attempts and persistent calls by our
getting from Devanahalli to the police volunteers to the police administration
station on Magadi Road—a distance of Tumkur, Kamal and the group got
26
their chance to leave by Shramik train without shelter in the city. SWAN
on May 30th from Bengaluru. arranged a bus through a local NGO
to take them from Hoodi to BIEC, and
Gurunanak Ravidas and his group once the bus reached to pick them up,
of 20 workers were working at Godrej all others decided to leave. They were
Air and residing in a place provided able to reach BIEC, register and board
by the company in Hoodi, Bengaluru the train the same day. They reached
in Karnataka. They had been restless Ramgarh in Jharkhand on June 2nd.
to return to Godda in Jharkhand as The Jharkhand state government has
it was also the harvest season there. arranged buses to take them home to
After being in touch with the SWAN their districts.
volunteer since mid-May, when a train
to Jharkhand was scheduled for May Abhishek Kumar Tewari used to earn
31st they were informed of the same. around Rs 9,500 per month working
The information however could be as an Operator at ASTI Electronics in
relayed to them only the previous night Manesar, Haryana on a ‘casual’ basis.
as no prior information about trains His son was born in December 2019,
was available. And they had to report at an Employees State Insurance
to Bengaluru International Exhibition hospital in the National Capital Region
Centre (BIEC) on Tumkur Road 40 kms (NCR). Around Holi in 2020, he had
away the next morning to register for accompanied his wife and his son
the journey home. Furthermore, the back to their village in Jharkhand,
contractor was trying to prevent them where his parents live. Soon after
from leaving, and the employer had he returned for work in Manesar, the
also not paid their wages for the last lockdown was announced. As he had
15 days’ work. Some in the group were not worked in March (having gone to
reluctant to leave as they were worried Jharkhand), his salary in April was not
that they did not have the resources due in full, and he was paid only around
to travel. For others, their families did Rs 4,000. He had also registered
send them money, but this was far online on the Haryana government
from enough. The employer had also website to travel back to Jharkhand.
said that if they left the premises The company temporarily reopened
they could not come back, and the on May 18th and Abhishek resumed
uncertainty of whether they would work. Around 10.30 pm on May 25th,
reach the registration site in time, when he was working the night shift,
owing to distance and limited money he received a message asking him
to spend on travel added to their to reach Tau Devi Lal Stadium by 7
anxiety. The uncertainty forced 11 of am next morning. However, his night
the workers to change their mind who shift would end only at 7 am. As a
decided they would not take such a result he could not reach the stadium
risk that would leave them stranded on time, and missed the train. The
27
company closed again around May A few workers from Uttar Pradesh and
28th, informing everyone that nobody Punjab said that they paid someone
should come until further notice. The mostly at a local mobile or ration shop
information trickling out now is that somewhere between Rs 20 to Rs 30
the workers who were working on to get their travel forms filled since
a ‘casual’ basis will ‘definitely not they either did not have smartphones
be called back’. Abishek is left with or were not confident that they would
around Rs 1,850 in his account and be able to fill the details correctly.
a few days of ration. He is thinking
of borrowing money for travel, if that No Prior Information About
takes him home. He called a SWAN Trains
volunteer, and said he does not want
cash or rations. He just wants to go On May 12th, Dhaniram Dhruwey,
back to his son and wife as soon as part of a group of 12 workers that
he can (even if it means he has to included four women, was contacted
incur a debt). based on a message sent by a
member of an NGO in Bhopal,
Dhananjay Kumar had to look for Madhya Pradesh. The group worked
alternatives to return home as his for a radiator company in Bengaluru
employer refused to take him back. that had not paid them for March,
Work had resumed for him on May and they had little money left. Their
21st in the small factory where he was house owner was not asking them
employed. After 3 to 4 days of work, for rent, but they were uncomfortable
the employer told him that Dhananjay staying on. They registered on May
could not be employed anymore 1st in the Hulimavu police station
because he was relatively new: he close to where they lived but
had come to Haryana only in January had not received any information
2020. The employer has told him to regarding their travel. They were
come back after 2 to 3 months and having difficulties registering on
try because now there is no business the Karnataka government portal,
at this point, and he needs to give but did manage to get this done
priority to those who had worked as well. Since they had received
longer in the company. information (falsely, and source not
known) that a train was leaving to
Paying for Filling Forms Madhya Pradesh on May 15th they
In Mumbai, Maharashtra, filling online left their rooms with their baggage.
forms has not been without costs But on realising that there was no
for workers. One of the workers train, and not wanting to go back
mentioned that some shops were to their rented accommodation, they
helping workers with filling forms but decided to stay with some friends
charging Rs 200 per form. in JP Nagar 4 kms away from their
28
 Issues with Regard to Travel
original rented place. But as the Registration and Shelters for
group was large they were afraid Migrants
that the friends’ house owner and
neighbours would ask them to Sonu Oraon from New Jalpaiguri in
leave. They approached the JP West Bengal worked in a restaurant
Nagar police station to enquire and lived near Electronic City in
about the status of their registration. Bengaluru, Karnataka. He knew many
The officers there were unhelpful who, due to the lockdown, had lost
at first. But a SWAN volunteer their work and some of them were
insisted on speaking to the police, also evicted from their rooms as
and they were told that if they they could not pay rent. Sonu had
have registered at the Hulimavu reached out to SWAN in the last week
police station then the data would of May. On the evening of May 31st,
be recorded and conveyed to the SWAN volunteers found out about a
control room. When it was their turn train leaving for West Bengal the next
to go they would be sent an SMS day. When SWAN asked if he was
and also receive a call from the interested in travelling to West Bengal
control room. Also, both Dhaniram and also to let us know if there were
and the NGO contact in Bhopal others, Sonu sent across a list of 58
were unaware that they would have people. When we confirmed that the
to pay for the tickets. train would leave at 8 pm on Monday,
the group started packing their bags
As they were concerned about to reach Jigani police station which
continuing to stay in their friends’ is around 10 kms from their homes.
house, SWAN arranged for them to Suddenly, SWAN volunteers received
be taken to a shelter, for which local information regarding a change of
transport of Rs 300 per auto was also venue for registering for travel—
paid for by SWAN as the workers from Jigani police station to Manpho
did not have money. They had to Convention Centre 47 kms away. The
take four autos to accommodate SWAN volunteer conveyed this last
them and their luggage. On May minute change of venue, but Sonu and
22nd evening they received a call others in the group were determined
from the police regarding a train to reach Manpho Convention Centre
that night at 10.30 pm and left to at whatever cost to register to get
board it. As luck would have it, home.
the Karnataka government had
announced on the same day that Through a local NGO, SWAN arranged
the government would bear the cost a bus for the group to reach Manpho
of travel for migrants. So Dhaniram on Monday morning i.e June 1st. Not
and his group did not have to pay only this group, we had talked to eight
anything for the tickets. other groups numbering altogether
29
more than 100 people. Some of the for the health of the baby. Charan
groups reached even earlier than the Tigga in a group of six said that he
reporting time of 8 am at Manpho. was feeling quite low. Bijay Darjee
However, there was a long queue was concerned about exposure to
of more than 300 people outside the virus as there was no physical
Manpho. Till lunch time there was no distancing. The food queue was long
clear information available to those in and the place was crowded. He also
the queue as they waited in the heat said that he had received a call from
without food, water and with conflicting the Vivek Nagar police station saying
information such as no registration that his name had been cleared for
of West Bengal migrants at Manpho, travel (he had registered earlier and
change in venue, cancellation of train had been waiting for his turn) but
etc. They spent more than 4 hours since he had already registered again
in the long queues waiting for their at this centre he decided to stay here.
turn. Around 3 pm in the afternoon, To add to this there was still no proper
the workers were allowed inside communication or assurance to the
Manpho Convention Centre and it was people who decided to stay in Manpho
indicated to them that they will have with rumours of trains cancellation.
to stay in the shelter. Finally the next day there were buses
arranged to take them to Bengaluru
The shelter was crowded, and railway station, from where they were
physical distancing or maintaining soon on their way home to West
hygiene was a far cry. Conversations Bengal.
with the workers who could not
travel showed the different state of Rahul and Rina, a couple from Peenya
mind. A large number of them such in Bengaluru, Karnataka reached out to
as Sonu, Rajupradha, Tamang, and SWAN wanting to travel to their home
Sulav were matter of fact about the state Odisha. When SWAN received
delay though they were determined information at the last minute of a
to stay overnight. Meghamani Giri and train scheduled to leave for Odisha,
her group were very uncomfortable the couple were informed to be ready
with the hygiene of the place and to leave their homes the next day
were avoiding eating anything so at 7 am. As the locations where the
that they would not have to use the tokens for the journey were being
toilet. Munna Tamang was also very issued were not disclosed in advance
disturbed by the hygiene and the and at times it even changed at the
toilets, and was concerned she would last minute, we could not direct them
fall sick, but had resigned herself to to a specific place. Once we came to
staying one more night. One of her know the location, we arranged for
acquaintances also in the shelter had an Ola cab to get them to the token
a small baby and they were concerned issuing point, an hours journey away
30
‘This couple could not be
accommodated in the trains
leaving that day. As the buses left,
Rahul informed us that his wife
was 4 months pregnant. Nothing
could be done at that point and
they had to stay in the shelter
overnight to catch the train on
the following day. He called
us later asking if they could be
moved to another shelter as the
bathrooms in particular were not
clean and his wife was facing a
lot of difficulty.’

31
from where they were. However, just medical centre he was sent by bus to
before they arrived the counter issuing Old Delhi where he boarded a Shramik
tokens for Odisha was closed and the train to his village.
issue of tokens for West Bengal had
commenced. Thanks to the efforts of In Ludhiana, the following process
our volunteer, who spoke with one is followed: registration is followed
of the police personnel, they were at some point by receipt of an SMS
given a token. However by this time, intimating pick up points. At the pick
in the scorching sun, five bus loads up points workers received a medical
of people were already on the bus, slip, post which the workers are ferried
waiting to leave. This couple could in a bus to Guru Nanak Stadium where
not be accommodated in the trains medical check up is done. Maulana
leaving that day. As the buses left, Helal, one in a group of 36 who
Rahul informed us that his wife was had received an SMS confirmation,
4 months pregnant. Nothing could be collected the medical slip at the pick
done at that point and they had to stay up point, and was then taken to the
in the shelter overnight to catch the stadium. Soon they were transferred
train on the following day. He called to a garden nearby where they had
us later asking if they could be moved to wait the entire day. In the night
to another shelter as the bathrooms in they were shifted to nearby shelter
particular were not clean and his wife homes along with the many others in
was facing a lot of difficulty. Also, the garden. They were taken to the
it was very crowded, and the queue garden the following day too. On the
for food was very long. We found out third day, after much intervention,
that if we moved them elsewhere, a police officer arranged for their
they would have to go through the registration and told them they would
process of standing in the queue to leave on the fourth day morning. Apart
get a token, medical, etc. again and from the lengthy process, they did not
persuaded them to stay there. The have to pay for anything.
following day they were on the train
to Odisha. In Punjab a local contact has helped
arrange travel for two large groups
Ramesh Ram who had registered on May 24th for 48 and on May 25th
online to travel from Sarai Kale Khan for 23. The list with details of workers
in Delhi to Vaishali in Bihar was lucky is shared with the local contact
to receive a message asking him to who informs about their inclusion in
report for medical check-up in just the train. The workers are required
6 days. However, the centre where to reach the Guru Nanak Stadium
he had to go with his luggage was outside Ludhiana station 5 hours prior
around 10 kms away and he also to departure where a medical is done
had to reach there by 7 am. From the and ticket provided. They are then
32
taken to board the trains. But there Devi Lal Stadium at a particular time.
are no arrangements made for food Migrants have no way to find out
in the stadium while the process is any more details. If their home is
underway. in North Bihar, they cannot know in
advance that the train will only go to
Jugal Ram was part of a group of South Bihar. Moreover, the messages
seven that included five women and come with very short notice, often the
children. They wanted to travel from night before workers have to reach
Delhi to Sitamarhi in Bihar, and had assembly points. Many workers are
registered online on May 17th . They worried that if they leave to try to
were lucky to receive a message for catch a train and are sent back, their
travel on May 23rd from Anand Vihar landlords will not allow them in.
to Purnea. They were asked to report
at GBSSS, B-1, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi
for screening, but they were unable
to go as the place was very far from
where they stayed and there were
children and women in the group. As
a result, they had to miss the chance
and wait for another alternative. They
filled a form again in a nearby school
and reached Bihar after a 36 hour
journey on which they were not given On June 1st, a Haryana government
proper food. official stated that trains were not
filling up because migrants in Haryana
The Haryana government has been did not want to leave. That night, a
very secretive about releasing train train scheduled to leave for Bihar was
schedules. They only started sending filled to capacity. 900 workers were
messages about train schedules to unable to get on board. They were
workers who have registered on their forced to spend the night in the open
portal in the last week of May. In in a stadium in Gurgaon. Women,
some other states, workers receiving elderly and small children sat the
SMSs are assigned a particular place whole day inside the stadium from 7
and time to report. But the Haryana am. In addition, nearly 500 workers
government does not disclose exact from Rewari district had reached the
train timing, routes, halts and stations stadium in 15 buses but were not
even to those migrants that receive allowed to disembark. They were kept
official messages about travel. cooped up in buses, and forced to sit
Instead, the messages are generic, in the scorching heat for hours and
stating simply that those who wish eventually sent to a shelter home.
to go to Bihar need to reach Tau Those in the stadium had packed up
33
People sleeping under floodlights outside Tau Devi Lal Stadium

all their belongings, left their rooms had just come back from the stadium
behind, and had nowhere else to and that it would take him 2 hours to
go. They had nothing to do but wait. get there. He would miss the buses.
In a mad scramble, 11 buses were Later the same day, at 1.30 pm, he
organised by civil society (out of a got one more call asking him to report
total of 19 buses) and the exhausted at Tau Devi Lal Stadium as the next
crowd left for Bihar 36 hours later. round of buses were due to start
leaving within the next 30 mins. He
Prince Jha got the call. He was declined. Now Prince has borrowed
asked to report to the assembly some money and got a tatkal ticket
point before 8 am. He set out, and to his hometown, Madhubani in Bihar.
reached an hour and a half early,
just in time to hear from the police Kunjram moved to Gurgaon for
that there was no train today. He work along with his wife, child and
was thrashed. Prince headed back to grandfather. When the lockdown
his room, disheartened. He reached came, they wanted to return to
there at 9 am. Within half an hour, Chhattisgarh. By that time, one of the
he got a call asking why he had not women in their group was pregnant.
shown up at the stadium. Buses were They called up the Chhattisgarh
leaving within the next 30 minutes. He helpline, gave all of their details, and
explained the situation, said that he were told that they could board a train
34
leaving from Delhi to Chhattisgarh. travel and had to pay Rs 2,500 for
They contacted a SWAN volunteer for about a distance of 18 kms. When
help working out when the train was they reached the school, they were
leaving. The timetable they had been told by the officials that the schedule
given only mentioned when the train of the train is not known. Meals were
was expected to reach Chhattisgarh; provided at 12 pm and 5 pm. They
the schedule had no departure time. boarded the train on May 30th and
We calculated that the train was reached West Bengal on June 1st.
due to leave the following day. But,
as we tried to process their e-pass, Karnataka Government’s Decision to
we worked out that the Chhattisgarh Cancel Trains Causes Chaos.
helpline had only registered the On April 29th, the Ministry of Home
husband and wife. The child and Affairs released an order allowing
grandfather were not registered. We inter-state travel. It seemed that
reached out to the Chhattisgarh Nodal migrants stranded across the
Officer in Delhi. That night, we heard country could go back to their home
that there was no train even from states. However, in a letter dated
Delhi to Chhattisgarh the next day. May 5th, the Karnataka government
We tried providing some monetary cancelled all trains for migrants.
support to the family to support The letter was sent after a meeting
them while they waited. Meanwhile, between the Chief Minister and
we contacted the Gurgaon district the Confederation of Real Estate
administration. They processed the Developers Associations of India
application within 2 days. Kunjram’s (CREDAI). This distressing decision
group boarded buses to Chhattisgarh was taken solely to appease the
from Gurgaon, joining around 200 lobby of builders and contractors
other passengers on a total of nine who claimed that the return of
buses.Their bus was stopped at workers to their home states would
Raipur for a few hours. But, when adversely impact the construction
people protested, the buses were sector. Neither migrant workers nor
sent on their way. trade unions representing them were
consulted. Since the lockdown was
Chhaiful stranded in Sonipat, Haryana, announced on March 24th, builders
was looking to return home to West and contractors have completely
Bengal. The group of 24 included abandoned workers, providing no
10 women and six children. They support by way of food or rations,
received a call on May 27th asking and withholding wages. Many
them to report at a school in the workers who contacted us also said
Biswamil area, in 30 minutes as there that they were facing threats of
was a train departing for West Bengal. eviction. Thanks to pressure from
They had to arrange for their own civil society groups and workers, the
35
Arun Yadav on a Shramik Train from New Delhi to Katihar, Bihar
36
Karnataka government was quick No Trains from Smaller
to withdraw the order. The train Towns and Between Certain
services resumed. But the sudden Locations
decision to cancel the trains left
the workers anxious and with even Pradip Choudhary and his brother,
more uncertainty about how they both migrants from Jalpaiguri, West
could return home. Bengal, were stuck in a factory due to
the lockdown in Delhi. They also lived
Poor Facilities on Trains in the same factory as they could
Especially Access to Food and not afford rent. When they contacted
Water SWAN, they only wanted support to
send them back to their native place.
Shreeram Paswan travelled via When asked if they had registered
Shramik train from Delhi via Bhagalpur on the portal, they said no. They told
to Banka, along with three others. us that they went to the local police
Food was provided at irregular station to get registered, but no one
intervals on the first day, but on other listened to them. We tried to register
days no food was provided at all. them on the Delhi government’s
portal for stranded migrants. But
Amankumar was travelling from the Delhi portal for interstate travel
Chennai in Tamil Nadu to Bihar by does not allow selecting districts for
train on May 24th. He arrived in Bihar the state of West Bengal. When we
on May 26th but he had received tried to mobilise support for them, a
no food or water on the train for 2 potential contact who was working
days. He also said that there were with the government to send the
two people per berth. West Bengal natives back to home,
shared their details with concerned
Arun Yadav travelled via Shramik authorities. The workers received
train from Delhi to Katihar in Bihar. a call at 1 pm to reach Ambedkar
With long halts, diversions and Stadium for screening in an hour. But
unplanned detours, the entire when they reached there, they did not
journey took 40 hours. Food was find anyone. Moreover, the number
provided at one station in Uttar they had called was switched off. It
Pradesh, however this barely fed took us around 45 mins to coordinate
half the passengers. Arun, who with the concerned authority only to
missed the chance to grab a food learn that the screening for the train
packet, did not eat anything for was completed. They said that they
nearly 2 days, surviving only on would be trying to figure out a way
water. When he reached Madhubani to send the workers back from the
station he bought himself cucumber same train but that did not happen.
and some snacks. The frequency of trains for some
37
states such as Madhya Pradesh or Ajit Kumar and three others are
Chhattisgarh is relatively low. Either stranded in Papum Parae in Arunachal
no information is available about Pradesh and want to travel back
the trains plying for these states, to Vishali in Bihar. Though online
or the workers are informed at the accessibility was hard they have
last moment. Suraj and his wife registered online as well. Registration
Madhu, who is 4 months pregnant, was happening at the DC’s office
were stranded in Delhi waiting for but it was a considerable distance
information on the train to Madhya away. While there are Shramik trains
Pradesh. They said that they had plying from Guwahati in Assam, this
registered on the state portal around was too far from Papum Parae and
15 days back. We registered them the commute to Guwahati was very
again on the portal again on May expensive as well.
28th. They have not received any
calls for screenings yet. Since Madhu Dynamic Pricing of IRCTC
is pregnant, her doctor has strictly Tickets Coupled with Non-
advised her against travelling in a Availability of Shramik Trains
bus/car/vehicle.
Chatrapal and a group of 50 workers
A worker, too panic stricken to give in Mangaluru, Karnataka, wishing
his name, called a SWAN volunteer to travel to Madhya Pradesh had
from Bellary in Karnataka saying reached out to SWAN. However, there
that he had received a call from were very few trains from Mangaluru,
the control room in Bengaluru. He and none to Madhya Pradesh. Since
and his group of 30 were asked to workers earlier who had reached out
report to Bengaluru as they had a to SWAN had walked back to Madhya
seat in a train leaving for Madhya Pradesh, SWAN explored the option of
Pradesh the next day. They had bringing this group to Bengaluru and
registered on the government booking them on the Special trains
portal on May 3rd and with the local to Bhopal as no Shramik trains were
police station on May 5th. They had plying to the state. The volunteers
received the call at 9.30 pm on May contacted the district administration in
12th regarding the train travel and Mangaluru to help with bus transport
they were supposed to make it to from Bengaluru but the administration
Bengaluru on May 13th by 8 am. wanted to see the booked IRCTC
However, the distance between tickets first. SWAN volunteers booked
Bellary and Bengaluru was 300 the tickets, but while booking it was
kms and there was no transport evident that dynamic pricing was
available. Since they had no way being applied. As the number of
of getting to Bengaluru they missed tickets booked increased, the price
their turn on the train. per ticket jumped from Rs 2,600 to
38
Rs 2,900 even though there were still wanted to travel from Bengaluru in
more than 100 seats available on the Karnataka to Andhra Pradesh. He did
date of the journey. The ticket details not know anything about the online
were shared with the Mangaluru portal or about registering. They had
administration and the workers were approached the Whitefield police
able to leave for Madhya Pradesh on station to ask about travel but were
June 2nd. shooed away before they could even
talk. They say that they were not
Sethuram from Mumbai purchased allowed to enter the station at all.
train tickets for his family to return to
Rajasthan. The train would however Mukesh Kumar Yadav was stranded
only take them to Jodhpur and they in Noida in Uttar Pradesh with his wife
had no other means of reaching their and 7 month old baby. He wanted to
village 500 kms away and no money get back to his native in Aurangabad,
either. Bihar. Out of frustration and unsure
of the work situation, Mukesh along
Bribes Paid for Travel with his wife and child started walking
Lal Chavan from Laxminagar, Tiruppur with another group of 15 towards
said that police were collecting Rs. their home. They received information
1,500 to give out tokens for Shramik that there was a train from Daunkar,
trains. The police were giving out a a station in Uttar Pradesh to West
certain number of tokens for free, Bengal that went via Gaya, Bihar.
and after that number, would start They had originally planned to get
charging higher amounts. down at Gaya, and go to Aurangabad
from there. The train was a Shramik
Jalauddin from Jharkhand was train and they had to buy a ticket.
stranded in Bengaluru, Karnataka Throughout the journey they were
with a group of six others. When they not given any food and water. When
approached the police to get tokens they tried to disembark at Gaya the
to board the Shramik train, they were police started hitting them with lathis.
asked to pay Rs 500 to be let through They were forced to board the train
the gate. Then, they were asked to and proceed to Asansol, West Bengal,
board a government transport bus where they arrived on the night of
which would take them to the railway May 17th. SWAN informed a volunteer
station. They had to pay a total of Rs from a local NGO who with the help
1,020, that included the train fare and of a railway official contacted the
the bus fare. Station Master in Asansol and made
the group de-board the train. They
Unhelpful Police also made arrangements for food and
Bunga Srinu was part of a group of water. Arrangements were made to
eight that included three women who send Mukesh and his family to Gaya
39
by train the next morning i.e. on May Madhya Pradesh. They had registered
18th. Finally at around 12 pm on May and waited for their turn but in despair
18th he reached Aurangabad safely. decided to walk. On May 13th they
called the helpline number of a police
Shreeram Paswan stranded in station at Kogali but were humiliated.
Sagarpur, Delhi went to the police They also did not have any money for
station to register for travel back to buying food. Soon, they were picked
Kathiar in Bihar but he was sent away up by the police and taken to a shelter
by the police. near Pump Room. They stayed there
overnight, and were provided with a
Walking Home: In Despair meal. Then they left in the morning to
and Tired of Waiting for walk to the bus stand and wait for the
Options to Travel bus to take them to the station—to
continue to wait for their turn to leave
Raju from Sarhaul Haryana put his by train.
wife and children on a bus on May
16th evening. He then decided to Sanjeev Kumar along with six others
start walking along the highway, and travelled from Sonipat, Haryana,
after walking 7 days he reached his to Muzzafarpur in Bihar. They had
home in Salhanpur, Madhya Pradesh. registered for travel on May 4th. Tired
On the way he would get biscuits and of waiting they started walking on
water and continue walking along with May 14th and going via Ghaziabad,
15-20 other workers some walking Kanpur, Lucknow and Gorakhpur
and some on cycles. He was able to reached Muzzafarpur by 3 pm on May
go home, but his wife and children 17th. Part of the journey was covered
were quarantined in the school. on foot, and part by truck for which
they paid Rs 500. They ate whatever
Jagdeesh in a group of 62 started they were offered en route by NGOs
walking from Odisha to the home who had set up points where food
state of Jharkhand. They were helped was being served.
by a MLA who provided food and
made arrangements for a bus to drop Road Travel: Risks in Hitch-
them at the Jharkhand border where hiking and High Cost of
when last contacted they were waiting Private Transport
for arrangements to be made by the
state to take them home. They were Amaan Alam travelled from Sonipat,
being provided meals thrice a day. Haryana to Araria, Bihar by truck. The
truck driver charged them Rs 2,500
On May 13th Pushpendra and per person. They were 20 in total, and
Rajendra with a few others decided to it took them 48 hours, and multiple
walk from Mangaluru in Karnataka to screenings on the way to their village.
40
People traveling atop buses and trucks to reach home.

A family of five, including a child wanting to travel to Nawada, Bihar,

with special needs paid Rs 5,000 per registered on the online portal but
person to a bus driver from Ghaziabad did not receive any message. Finally
in Uttar Pradesh to Godda, Jharkhand. along with others they started walking,
The passengers were dropped in but later took a truck that charged
Narela, Delhi instead of Jharkhand as them Rs 1,800 per person. They
promised. The bus seemed to have received a call from the government
been plying without permit. There, the after more than 15 days of their
family stayed for 5-6 days in a kaccha registering on the portal when they
house of another family of workers had already reached home.
who had gone home. For that one
week, water was the main concern for Vijay Kumar Ram and his group
them. The family was desperate and of eight that included two children
wanted to return to their home state went from Kankrola in Haryana to
at the earliest and declined to move Muzzafarpur in Bihar by truck paying
to a shelter home either. Finally with a total of Rs 35,000.
the help of NGOs seats were arranged
on an urgent basis for the family on a Budhan Kumar had registered online
Shramik train from Delhi to Jharkhand. but left Delhi on May 13th walking till
Ghaziabad. From here he boarded a
Gaurelal Kumar from Hisar, Haryana truck till Bhagalpur for which he paid
41
Rs 2,000. From Bhagalpur, he took Jainendra along with 11 others from
a bus to his home district Godda in Rewa in Madhya Pradesh wanted
Jharkhand. He received food only to travel to Raipur in Chhattisgarh.
once en route at Patna. At Godda, They had registered on both the
he has been quarantined without any Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
mask or sanitizer, but proper food state portals but they received no
was being provided. SMS or call. Some villagers dropped
them to the border on motorcycles
Five groups with around seven driving 100-120 kms and from there
members in each group walked and policemen helped them to travel to
took trucks from Kanpur in Uttar Raipur in trucks. They had to sell
Pradesh to reach their homes in some of their household items like
Chhattisgarh and Bihar. Two other gas stove to pay the villagers to drop
families with small children, one of them to the Madhya Pradesh and
whom was 8 months and the other Chhattisgarh border. They incurred a
3 years old, travelled from Kanpur total expenditure of Rs 12,000.
to Mungeli in Chhatisgarh by trucks.
They changed three trucks and were Amresh Kumar and two others from
charged Rs 1,000 per head (excluding Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, needed to
the children). A group of 18 travelled travel to Vaishali in Bihar. They had
from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh by truck registered in the local police station
to Chhattisgarh paying Rs 500 per as well as the Dehradun smart city
head. website but had not received any
SMS or call. They decided to travel
Birsingh along with 31 others was by paying Rs 2,000 from Mussoorie
stranded in Rajnandgaon district, to Dehradun, then paying Rs 195 per
Chhattisgarh and wanted to go to person from Dehradun to Delhi by
Damoh in Madhya Pradesh. There train (Janshatabdi), and taking a bus
was no facility for state supported arranged by SWAN to Bihar.
travel, no provision for workers to
register online and Shramik trains Suraj Dev and a group of 20 were stuck
were also not running on these in Chityala, Telangana wanting to
routes. Together the group paid Rs return to Odisha and Jharkhand. They
35,000 and arranged for a truck. They had been evicted by their contractor
had to sell their oxen to survive during as they did not want to return to work
the lockdown. Though the cost was once lockdown restrictions eased.
high they had no other option as they They registered in the police station
were living under tarpaulin tents and but were asked to go back to their
were eager to get home. They have rooms. The police also went with
reached home and have been asked them to ensure that the contractor
to home quarantine did not evict them. Those who had
42
‘No health screening
processes were done for
the people who returned
to Odisha. For those
who travelled by truck to
Jharkhand, their Aadhar
card and photo was taken
every time a state border
was crossed. On arrival at
the Jharkhand border, the
from and to address were
noted and temperature
was checked.’
43
to return to Orissa hired a private bus he needed a medical certificate to
for which no pass was required by submit at the police station. When he
paying more than Rs 30,000. Those went to get the medical certificate at
wanting to return to Jharkhand paid the small hospital about 14 kms away,
Rs 900 per person for the truck (which he was told they were not issuing
had 39 people). No health screening certificates any more. Because there
processes were done for the people was no certainty about the trains, he
who returned to Odisha. For those was worried he would not be able to
who travelled by truck to Jharkhand, get home. At one point he received
their Aadhar card and photo was reliable news that he could get a truck
taken every time a state border was in Bhiwandi which was about 100
crossed. On arrival at the Jharkhand kms away. Mahendra walked from
border, the from and to address were Lonavala to Bhiwandi. When he failed
noted and temperature was checked. to get a truck, he walked to Nasik about
At the district that they were travelling 130 kms away and from there got a
to, Gadawas district, their temperature truck to Jharkhand. The Jharkhand
was checked as well but they were app for Rs 1,000 cash transfer for
asked to home quarantine. migrants did not accept Mahendra’s
selfie because his beard had grown-
Kishore Pandit left by truck from he could not shave and his picture
Bhiwandi in Maharashtra to Giridih, on the Aadhaar card was without a
Jharkhand. It was a 14-wheeler and beard. He tried 8-9 times and yet it did
there were 35 workers on board, so not work. He called several helplines
he said they had enough space to but got no useful response from them.
lie down. He did a medical test in He used his savings and paid around
Bhiwandi for Rs 100. For the truck Rs 600 for food on the way. When he
he paid Rs 2,800. The truck was not finally reached his village he was sent
stopped anywhere on the way. On to a school that was the quarantine
arrival there was a medical test done centre but food had to be arranged
at a local clinic and he was sent to from his own house.
a quarantine centre where he had to
arrange for food to be brought from Abdul Rezzak and six of his friends
his home. paid Rs 4,200 per person to get a
truck from Thane city, Maharashtra,
Mahendra Yadav is a daily wage to Murshidabad in West Bengal. Their
worker from Giridih, Jharkhand. He was families sent them the money. They
stuck in Lonavala in Maharashtra. The also had to pay Rs 100 to do their
police station where the registration medical test. The truck, filled with
was happening was the Lonavala about 55 people, went from Thane to
main market police station which was Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar
27 kms away. He was informed that and then West Bengal. In Madhya
44
‘In Madhya Pradesh,
the truck driver started
harassing some of the
workers who had not yet
paid the full amount. Abdul
said he dialled 100 and the
police arrived immediately
and told the driver not to
trouble the workers as they
had not earned anything
since the lockdown. In some
places people were serving
biscuits, even biryani.’
45
Pradesh, the truck driver started Anoop Lal was stuck in Surat, Gujarat.
harassing some of the workers who He had filled an online registration
had not yet paid the full amount. form on May 20th to go on a Shramik
Abdul said he dialled 100 and the train to Bihar. He claims that the ticket
police arrived immediately and told issued against his name was sold to
the driver not to trouble the workers someone else. He borrowed money
as they had not earned anything since and paid around Rs 4,000 to get on a
the lockdown. In some places people bus to the Bihar border. After reaching
were serving biscuits, even biryani. In the border he had to hitchhike to
Uttar Pradesh, some people offered complete the journey. He has spent
chapati and curry, but in Bihar they did around Rs 6,000 in all. After reaching
not receive any food assistance. The his village, he had to search for the
truck was allowed to go till Asansol quarantine centre. He was sent to
border. In Asansol, the workers filled another village, where the quarantine
a form and took a state-run bus free centre was full and was then asked
of cost to reach their respective to go home and remain in quarantine
districts. Once in Murshidabad, Abdul there. He did not receive any help
and his friends got a free medical test from the government of Bihar. In
done and got a certificate for home Surat, where he had been stranded
quarantine. he had received no support from the
government for rations and said that
Sanjay from Bhiwandi in Thane, cooked food was available on a few
Maharashtra and four others of his occasions.
group paid Rs 4,000 per person to
travel by truck from Bhiwandi to Several groups have tried to get home
Muzaffarpur, Bihar. They borrowed using private transport and paying
this money from their contractor. The large sums of money. A family of five
permit was made by the truck driver, left on a private vehicle from Noida in
the workers carried their Aadhaar Uttar Pradesh to Aurangabad in Bihar
cards and certificates of the medical paying Rs 2,500 per person. On arrival
test they had done in Bhiwandi. The they were quarantined in Pipraura
truck dropped them at Muzaffarpur, Panchayat, Madanpur, Aurangabad
Bihar, where there was a registration but no facilities including food was
camp. After they registered provided in the quarantine centre.
themselves, they got a free medical
test done and were given the option Ibrahim Ansari who used to stay in
of home quarantine or staying at a Manesar, Gurgaon had to leave his
quarantine centre. They chose to stay room as the landlord cut his electricity
at the centre which is a big school. and water supply. Along with others
Here they were given food and had he had planned on walking till Bihar
access to clean water. from Manesar. When they reached
46
Ghaziabad, the police stopped them am and took them to Muzaffarpur
and sent them back to Manesar via where they finally arrived on May 14th
bus. Now they are staying at a place and underwent thermal scanning.
in Kadipur, Manesar, still desperate to The quarantine facility where they
return home to Bihar. were taken was a government school
where they were required to stay for
Bablu Kumar travelled via bus from 21 days. They have been told that they
Gurgaon, Haryana to Samastipur in would get two meals a day of rice, dal
Bihar with seven members including and vegetables, and tea and biscuits
three children. He had already paid Rs twice. However, facilities at the centre
1,700 per person, and had no money were very poor with frequent power
to buy food on the way. outages, no bedding, few fans and no
clean water. The workers demanded
A Tedious and Costly Journey to speak to the headman of the village
Ending with Issues of Quar- who did visit them but left angrily. The
antine workers had said they would not eat
until their demands were met, and no
Vikas Kumar left from Bhiwandi, in food was prepared that night at the
Maharashtra to Muzaffarpur, Bihar on school.
May 12th at 1.30 am. He paid Rs 3,500
for the truck, and the money was sent Juber Ansari and his group paid
by his family back home. The truck Rs 4,000 per person to travel by
reached the Bihar border on May 13th truck from Ulhasnagar, Mumbai
around 10.30 pm. At the border, the in Maharashtra to Hazaribagh in
truck was not allowed to enter, and Jharkhand. Their contractor had not
the workers were told to walk toward paid them money, and told them to
a help centre where they could get go back to their villages if they could
a state transport bus to their district. arrange transport (‘Jisko jaisa suvidha
The workers walked nearly 3 kms and milta hai chale jao’). Juber said that if
reached the help centre tent. There the contractor had continued paying
they saw that people had queued them some money they would have
up to get registered for the bus, but stayed (Agar Rs. 500-500 deta toh
no physical distancing norms were hum rukte... nahi diya uske baad hi
being followed. The workers realised aap logon ko pareshaan kiya). They
that joining the queue was a major had borrowed the money for travel
health risk and decided not to get from their village at 10 percent interest
registered. They called their families per month. On their way home, in
and asked them to arrange a truck. Maharashtra they were getting food
They then walked to a petrol pump at some places. In Chhattisgarh they
a few kilometres away and spent the could not get anything and had to buy
night there. The truck arrived at 6.30 biscuits to eat. At some places they
47
‘facilities at the centre were
very poor with frequent
power outages, no bedding,
few fans and no clean water.
The workers demanded
to speak to the headman
of the village who did visit
them but left angrily. The
workers had said they would
not eat until their demands
were met, and no food was
prepared that night at the
school.’
48
The kit provided by the Bihar government to migrants in a quarantine centre

saw the police stopping trucks and Haryana, on May 14th at 9.30 pm and
asking drivers to give a lift to migrant started walking along the highway
workers who were walking on foot. with 40 others from their village
Juber’s truck dropped them till Ranchi in Madhubani, Bihar. The brothers
from where they hitchhiked taking a boarded a truck at Palwal paying Rs
milk van, bikes, and other vehicles to 2,500 per head to the truck driver
reach Hazaribagh. They were placed and via Agra, Lucknow, Gorakhpur,
in a quarantine centre in Hazaribagh and Gopalgunj reached their village in
where a medical test was done. Madhubani on May 16th. Fortunately
They were living 14 to a room, and for them food was being provided
the centre was not providing them free along the route. At the village
with food, which was being brought they were quarantined in the school
to them by their families. Juber had where his family sent him food and
heard that other districts, quarantine provided bedding as there were no
centres were providing not only facilities even masks and sanitisers at
food but also some money to the the quarantine centre.
quarantined people at Rs 250 a day
but this is not clear. Ashok Kumar left Khandsa in
Haryana on May 22nd at 10.30 pm. He
Ranjeet and Sanjeev Ram, two walked from Khandsa to Palwal, took
brothers left Khandsa in Gurgaon, a truck from Palwal to Darbanki from
49
where he took a minibus to Lucknow can be cleared to go home.
via Agra. From Lucknow he took a
bus to Gorakhpur and a bus again to Many workers had to walk from
Khusinagar. The cost of the journey different parts of Gurgaon, Haryana,
by truck was Rs 3,500 and he ate food to Palwal (about 75 kms), along the
only twice during the entire journey. highway. They barely had food while
He was sent to a quarantine facility at they walked, eating only once or twice
the Primary Vidyalaya, Chauri Chora throughout their journey. Most of them
where no facilities were provided. managed to board a truck or tempo
The Pradhan of the village said that from Palwal.
‘Hamari zimmedari nahi hai.’ (‘It is
not our responsibility’). His family is Niranjan Kumar left from Gurgaon,
sending food. Haryana, on May 14th. He walked
till Palwal in Haryana where a police
Arun Yadav after a long and arduous officer helped him board a truck
journey from Delhi to Bihar with no to Bihar that had around 40 to 50
food, was quite unwell on arrival. people. Along the route he did not
He has been in a quarantine centre have to pay for food as free food was
for 11 days now. After a week in being provided (by a local MLA). He
one quarantine centre in his home reached Jehanabad in Bihar on May
panchayat, he was shifted to a 20th and asked the pradhan to make
centre in another panchayat, further arrangements for quarantine in a
away. Arun told the SWAN volunteer school, which however was not done.
that he has received a kit from the
Bihar government which consisted
of a mosquito net, a gamcha or
towel, mug, bucket, a glass, plate,
toothpaste and two soaps. He has
consistently been calling SWAN to say
that food is delayed every morning
and only arrives when people start
agitating. On a positive note, officials
from the block and panchayat visited
the quarantine centre to register his
demand for work under the Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). He will
start working once he is released
from the quarantine centre. On the
eleventh day he was taken for testing
and is now awaiting results before he
50
 Cost Incurred for Private Travel
Mode of transport From To Rate (Rs.
Per person)
Truck Sonipat, Haryana Araria, Bihar 2,500
Bus Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh Godda, Jharkhand 5,000
Truck Hisar, Haryana Nawada, Bihar 1,800
Truck Kankrola, Haryana Muzzaffarpur, Bihar 4,400
Truck Delhi Bhagalpur, Bihar 2,000
Truck Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh Mungeli,Chhattisgarh 1,000
Truck Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chhattisgarh 500
Private vehicle Damoh,Madhya 1,100
Rajnandgaon,
Pradesh
Chhattisgarh
Truck Chityala, Telangana Jharkhand. 900
Truck Chityala, Telangana Odisha 1,500
Truck Bhiwandi,Maharashtra Giridih, Jharkhand 2,800
Truck Thane, Maharashtra Murshidabad West 4,200
Bengal.
Truck Bhiwandi, Maharashtra Muzaffarpur, Bihar 4,000
Bus Surat, Gujarat Bihar border 3,500
Private vehicle Noida, Uttar Pradesh Aurangabad, Bihar 2,500
Private car Gurgaon, Haryana Madhubani, Bihar 5,000
Bus Gurgaon, Haryana Samastipur,Bihar 1,700
Truck Bhiwandi,Maharashtra Muzaffarpur, Bihar 3,500
Truck Ulhasnagar, Maharashtra Hazaribagh, Jharkhand 4,000
Truck Palwal, Haryana Madhubani, Bihar 2,500
Truck and Bus Palwal, Haryana Khusinagar, Bihar 3,500
Bus Bengaluru, Karnataka Odisha and Jharkhand 6,000
Mini Bus Chennai, Tamil Nadu West Bengal 9,500
Bus Bengaluru, Karnataka Odisha 5,000
Bus Yadgir, Karnataka Madhya Pradesh 6,000
Pick-up truck Ranga Reddy Telangana Bihar 5,000
A family waiting outside Tau Devi Lal stadium for transport to go home
51
The travel travails of workers further
underscore the trauma that they
have been subjected to by the state
machinery. Extreme precarity begets
multiplicity of expressions. While
some workers have responded with
resistance and anger, some others
have expressed resignation. Given
the array of shocks and risks that
the working poor, and women in
particular, are exposed to, the need
for a comprehensive evaluation
and implementation of social
protection measures made by the
erstwhile National Commission for
the Enterprises in the Unorganised
Sector (NCEUS) is critical. The
International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR),
1966, is an international human rights
treaty in which India is a signatory.
Anchoring on human dignity,
ICESCR lays out the need for certain
fundamental rights and freedoms for
everybody. It is, therefore, high time
that we reconfigure our society and
strengthen our laws based on these
principles instead of the proposed
dilution of labour laws.

52
 अव्यवस्था ने बनाया अजनबी
Previous SWAN Reports
By - Snehal Sinha, Ruchi Shewade
21 Days and Counting - SWAN Published on - May 14th, 2020
Report (1) published April 15th 2020 Published by - Outlook Hindi

32 Days and Counting - SWAN Wrong to deny stranded workers

Report (2) published May 1st 2020 right to choose their future
By - Abitha Chakrapani, Nithya R
Articles by Swan Volunteers Published on - May 15th, 2020
Published by - Deccan Herald
What migrant workers are revealing
in SOS calls to us Hasty lockdown, crawling relief:
By - Rajendran Narayanan From duty to charity
Published on - April 12th, 2020 By - Zil Gala
Published by - NDTV Published on - May 17th, 2020
Published by - The Wire
A cruel lockdown: Lessons from
relief work in Mumbai Migrant crisis: Justice being denied,
By - Bhakti G 57 days and counting
Published on - April 24th, 2020 By - Snehal Sinha
Published by - The Wire Published on - May 19th, 2020
Published by - Gauri Lankesh News
How lockdown measures have
disproportionately affected migrant Who is responsible when
workers technology fails the marginalised?
By - Abitha Chakrapani, Nithya R By - Sakina Dhorajiwala
Published on - May 1st, 2020 Published on - May 26th, 2020
Published by - Deccan Herald Published by - EPW - Engage

Locked down in distress The long road home: A day in the

By - Sakina Dhorajiwala , Rajendran life of a stranded migrant worker in
Narayanan Bengaluru
Published on - May 9th, 2020 By - Vaishnavi
Published by - Indian Express Published on - May 27th, 2020
Published by - The Wire
To get trains, migrants stuck with
English forms, OTPs and more The distress of migrants…and their
By - Anindita Adhikari, Seema dignity
Mundoli By - Shantanu Maheshwari
Published on - May 12th, 2020 Published on - May 27th, 2020
Published by - NDTV Published by - News Platform

53
Deserted, demeaned and distre
ssed: The lot of migrant workers in
the Delhi-Haryana region
By - Navmee Goregaonkar
Published on - May 29th, 2020
Published by - The Wire

Homeward bound
By - Padma Bareddy
Published by - IDR

Relief application rejected

By - B Shivanand
Published by - IDR

The wages of COVID-19 lockdown

in Dharavi – A sense of panic, loss
of self
By - Ritika Sah
Published on - June 4th, 2020
Published by - thewire.in

What migrant workers are still

going through to catch a train
By - Sindhu Sivakami
Published on - June 4th, 2020
Published by - NDTV

54
 SWAN Team
Zonal Teams
Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Komal Kisan Wakulkar
Karnata, Kerala, Tamil Nadu Rachel Varghese
Nithya R Rahul Kumar
[email protected] Simran Moraes
Abitha Chakrapani  Snehal Shah
Amruta Vurakaranam Sukhdeep Singh 
Ashwini KG Utkarsh Kumar
Divya Uma 
Divyashri C Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa
Gitanjali  Bhakti G
Himadriben Soni  ([email protected])
Jayeeta Basu Aarti
Karan Singh Kathiar Adwait Deshpande
Saroja Ellendula Ali Parekh
Shantanu Maheshwari Anul Jain
Suma H Anusha Rajan
Tarangini Sriraman Anushka Kale
Vandana Srivastava Aparna
Yogesh Gandhi Dinesh Kumar 
Hetal Gori
Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Ilisha Dant
Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Isha Barthwal
Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Nagaland, Kalpita Wadher
Jharkhand Kiti Gupta
Siddharth K J ( Nitish Kumar
[email protected]) Pranay Kumar
Padma Bareddy Ritika Sah
Preeti Singh Riya Sawant
Sucharita Kundu Romica Vasudev
Shivanand B Sahith
Sakina Dhorajiwala
Delhi and Haryana Sandili Maurya
Navmee Goregaonkar Snehal Sinha
([email protected]) Saurav Kumar
Akhila Pauly Simone Chhabda
Amardeep Shitole Sanskruti Satam
Ashish Sood Shweta Sundar
Dharamjeet Kumar Vaneesha
Jiniya Chatterjee
55
Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal
Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir
Zil Gala ([email protected])
Anish Mishra Data on Helplines and
Anjali Aggarwal Organisations
Anyatam Shukla Shramanth Rajarathnam
Arushee ([email protected])
Arushi Aggarwal Aditi Kamdar
Deepti Komalam Harshal Boinwar
Gautam Mishra Hema Koushik
Heena Savla Mani Chandana
Jahnvi Purava Joshi
Khanjan Ravani Stuti Nabazza
Maithili Patil Supratheesh T
Nandini Gupta Vaishnavi Chidambaranathan
Niyati Gala
Priya Khare Database Management and First
Raghuram Contact
Rohit Kundu Abhishek Dey (abhishekdey185@
Ronak Savla gmail.com)
Ruby RP Advait Moharir
Saachi Koppikar Milind Nutan
Samiksha Rohilla Prathmesh
Sanyukta Singh Ruchi S
Shaunak Ghaisas Sahana Subramanian
Shifa Zoya Shevade Ruchi
Shrikanth Iyer Sunayna Mahtani
Shubham Sharma
Sindhu Sivakami Helpline Tech Team
Sushmita MV Sahana S
Swati Anwesha Saroja Ellendula
Swati Jetli Shivananda
Simran Moraes
All Other Teams Anish

Cash Transfers and Transactions Design and Layout

Nazar ([email protected]) Vidura Jang Bahadur
Adit Ravi
Anjana Mohan Management of Volunteers
Mamta Kandari Padma Nayar (padma.nayar@
Phaneesh K azimpremjifoundation.org)
Piyuli Ghosh Remya
Shuchi Sinha
56
 Requests from Samaj Pragati
Shakti Sangathan, Bihar
Sharanya Das
([email protected])
Aastha Bisht
Amod Shah
Advait Moharir
Prathamesh Parkar
Kushal Singh
Sahana
Sanjay Sahni
Sunayna Mahtani

Social Media and

Communication
Leah Verghese (leah.verghese@
gmail.com)
Divya Sihag
Kanika Kochhar
Carol Daniel
Sindhu Sivakami
Kruthika R
Charu

Verification of Data, Analysis

and Report Editors
Anindita Adhikari
9871832323 | aninditaadhikari@
gmail.com
Nishant Panicker
8317454691 | nishant.
[email protected]
Rajendran Narayanan
9620318492 | n.rajendran@gmail.
com
Seema Mundoli
9449818468 | seema.mundoli@
apu.edu.in

For details please contact

[email protected]

57
Annexures: These are a sample of three letters written by SWAN to govern-
ment officials. SWAN members have written several other letters to various MPs
and MLAs that are not presented here. Letter 1 is addressed to the Secretary, MHA.
Letter 2 is written by Mr. Jignesh Mevani, MLA, Vadgam, Gujarat to the Chief
Minister of Gujarat on behalf of SWAN. Letter 3 is addressed to the CM of Ma-
harashtra written by SWAN volunteers.

Letter 1: To Shri Ajay Bhalla, Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs.

To
May 11th, 2020
Shri Ajay Bhalla
Secretary,
Ministry of Home Affairs
Government of India

Subject: Suggestions for SOP regarding travel for migrant workers

Dear Sir,

We are a group of researchers, students, lawyers, engineers and civil society

workers that have been coordinating and directly providing relief to stranded
migrant workers after the lockdown was announced on March 24th.
Simultaneously we have also built https://migrants.covid-india.in/ and other
digital platforms (details in the endnotes) for workers and others to make
information on travel and relief measures widely available and accessible.
Since March 27th, we have supported over 46,000 migrant workers by
connecting them with civil society organisations and have tried government
facilities to reach them in addition to some emergency cash transfers. In
the process we have documented their needs and experiences and also
collaborated with state governments to set up helplines. The MHA has issued
multiple inter-state travel orders from April 29th. The latest order, dated May
11th, spells out a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for inter-state travel for
workers.

We are writing to you to work collaboratively and enable better coordination

across states for migrants to travel back to their native place. There are two
specific areas where your intervention can significantly improve processes
and ameliorate hardships faced by migrants. These are for your urgent
consideration.

• Based on our experiences, we wish to share that the SOP issued in its
58
 current form is incomplete. We want to share some key insights and offer
a set of measures to fill the gaps in the current SOP.

• Support a common data portal for migrants to register their travel request.
It will also take data from existing state specific mobile apps. The portal
in turn interfaces with all stakeholders involved in planning and support
in their journey including medical staff, police, district authorities of
both states and the railways.

Review of Existing State Portals and Procedures

Since the April 29th order issued by MHA that permitted inter-state travel
for stranded migrants we have been closely tracking orders and official
announcements on migrant related travel and have been assisting migrants
navigate this information and procedures. We present some important
observations regarding this.

1. Variation in information collected by state portals and need for

standardisation:
• While some basic information like name/identity/contact information/
addresses are common across registrations forms on state portals, there is
also considerable variation. For example: Haryana asks for an employer
name, some states ask for the industry sector and Karnataka asks for the
duration of stay in the place of work, Gujarat asks for an NOC from the
state the migrant is travelling from and so on.
• Requirements for uploading photos and scans of IDs in different file
formats is making the registration processes unnecessarily difficult.
• Based on specific state requirements, migrants have to register twice:
on the portal of the state they are travelling from as well as the state
they want to go to. Some states have specifically waived off the double
registration at both ends. For example, Rajasthan has said it will not ask
for registration for coming into the state unless the state of origin of travel
specifically asks for an NOC. Most states are not clear about this though
leaving many people confused about the process.
• In some cases, for example, people have managed to travel from Karnataka
to Jharkhand without being registered on the portal and have had to pay
Rs 1,000 for the journey.
2. Portals for two crucial states, Delhi and Bihar are not functional
• It was difficult to trace the registration link for migrants stranded in
Delhi. The link has not been posted on the official website of the Delhi
government but is on the website of the Delhi Shelter board (https://
www.delhishelterboard.in/covid19/migrant-info.php)
59
• Bihar government’s portal has been non-functional since MHA
announced hat migrants will be permitted to travel
3. Post registration processes unclear, leading to increased anxiety
• After registering on state portals, like Jharkhand, migrant workers did
not receive any confirmation.
• For those who successfully register, there is no tracking mechanism for
them to know about their own application status.
• Policies being followed to prioritise selection of travelers are not
transparent.
• Procedures for travel post-registration are either unavailable or do not
meet the requirements of migrant workers. In the case of West Bengal,
people who filled the form to return to Jharkhand received a notification
asking for private vehicle information.
• Schedules of trains are published by only some states and in an ad hoc
manner. There are no public spaces, mechanisms, or specific portals for
this sharing and no further efforts made to ensure that this critical piece
of information reaches the affected parties.
4. Emerging black market for tickets: In the absence of information on
the number of trains that will run, schedules, transparent processes for
seat allotment, a black market has developed overnight. Migrants have
reported paying between Rs. 1500-8000 per person to register for travel
by private bus and trains. The costs vary by distances.

Suggested Immediate Measures: Issue SOP, in consultation with states, to

standardise migrant travel procedures:

Such a SOP can minimally consist of the following basic features.

Dissemination of Information, Facilitation Centres and Registration Procedure

Standardise online and offline registration processes as far as possible. Also

specify the need for a system of announcements for the information to reach
the affected people. Creation of multiple facilitation centres for this is critical.
Transportation (bus and train) must be free for any migrant worker who
wishes to return.
• Each ward in every city should organise widespread announcements
informing them about facilitation centres where migrants can register to
travel, travel time and how long they will need to spend in the quarantine
centres. Registration should include name, contact details, source, and
destination.
• Multiple spaces (schools, colleges, malls, marriage halls, army areas etc.)
must be used to create such facilitation centres. They should have several
60
 registration counters that should be open from 0600 to 2100 to ensure
that physical distancing is maintained. Each such facilitation centre
should have separate dedicated counters for some high density states
such as Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal.
• Given the large proportion of migrant workers who do not have smart
phones or internet, officials should register on behalf of those who wish
to travel, give them a dated receipt for the registration and simultaneously
enter the travel details on a single co-ordinated web-based platform.
• A single well-coordinated web-based technology platform/app should
alsobe used to log basic details of the workers at the registration centres
and otherwise. This will feed directly into the information gathered from
the facilitation centres, which will use the same platform/app. Some
minimum features of such a platform are mentioned below.
• Registration must not have conditionalities. It should only be based on
the workers’ choice to return home and not the will of the states on who
should move.
• Any government ID of one individual in the group can be used to attest
the details of all the people registered in the group. Workers should not
be asked to make photocopies/scans/photos of their government id cards.
The officials may check the ID at the time of registration and log the
details.
• Specify criteria for prioritisation for travel such as if somebody is
pregnant, sick, weak, stressed and if there are children in the family or
single women and this should be widely publicised, not only online but
in each ward of every town/city.
• The portal should allow all those who have registered online and offline
to track their application status in addition to messages being proactively
sent to their phones via sms.
• Clarify that the onus of issuing passes and testing should lie with the
state from which the migrant is travelling. Registration in the home
state should only be done on arrival. Further testing and quarantining
procedures as per WHO standards should be set up in the home states
upon arrival.

Logistics – Reaching the Station, Arrangements for the Journey and Final
Destinations

• From the registration process, the total number of those stranded and
their destinations can be collated. This will inform the governments
of the minimum number of trains/buses required, as well as the routes
that need to be arranged. Lists of migrants cleared for travel should be
provided to home states on a daily basis to make adequate preparations
61
 for arrival.
• Special feeder buses and intra-state feeder trains need to be used to
transportpeople from each ward to the station. Since the number of
passengers in each train and the time of arrival is well known in advance,
the home state should organise adequate numbers of buses/trains
keeping physical distancing norms in mind for transportation within the
home states.
• There should be three-stage check-ups for all those travelling: (1) Before
the journey (2) during the journey (3) after the journey, at the destination.
Multiple medical teams must be in each train throughout the journey. At
each transit/exit point, there should be strict testing. Quarantine facilities
must be available at each transit point so that anybody exhibiting
COVID-19 symptoms can be quarantined immediately. Every transport
facility must be sanitised.
• Each train should run with the maximum number of coaches as possible.
Hot, cooked food should be provided for all passengers on board free of
cost. Having multiple pantry cars can help ensure physical distancing in
the kitchen as well.
• Once trains reach the border of a home state, they should stop at several
reasonably big stations inside the state, and not just the state capital. 
• States should draw up their own SOPs for all procedures upon
arrivalincluding thermo testing, quaranting, providing rations etc.

Public Disclosure of Information/Grievance Redressal

• Train schedules, details of feeder buses connecting to train stations,

boarding points, passenger lists and waiting lists must be made
transparent and publicly available in multiple spaces in each ward and
online on a continuous basis. The tickets should be free for the workers.
• Each public registration centre should act as a worker facilitation centre.
Each such centre must be provided with time-bound grievance redressal
structure. SOP for grievance registration and redressal must be a part of
the SOP for travel and logistics. Grievance collection procedures must be
decentralised and not rely only on a single helpline number.

On the issue of migrants the different Court directives are as follows:

1. In a case before the Bombay High Court PIL(ST)5443-20, PIL(L) 22-

20, PIL(L)25-20 the court on Friday May 6th, directed the Maharashtra
government to take a decision on whether it would bear transport costs
of migrant workers returning to their home states amid lockdown. The
court also suggested that the government should publicise the decision
62
 so that migrant workers learn about it. Based on this all states should
be given a timeline to make this decision and share it widely with the
public.”
2. The Karnataka High court in the case W.P. No.6435 of 2020 CJ / BVNJ:
& Connected matters directed the state to place on record in what
manner the state is going to arrange for operation of special trains for
the benefit of migrants. If there are complaints received by the state that
some contractors or employers are confining the migrant workers to their
shelters and are not permitting them to go to their respective home states,
the state government will have to attend to such complaints and will have
to ensure that the migrants are not harassed in this fashion. The Court
further directed that the policy of the state government should take care
of all categories of migrant workers irrespective of the fact whether they
are in their own shelters or in shelters provided by their employers or
shelters provided by the state or whether they are on streets.
3. On May 8th, accepting an application filed by the Ministry of Home
Affairs, the Supreme Court held that for migrants to go to their native
state it is not compulsory for them to test negative before they are allowed.

We now outline some basic features that a single web-based platform must
minimally have. Our team of technologists would be happy to work with the
MHA in designing and developing such a web-based platform.

Minimum Features for a Single All India Portal for Migrant Travel Registration

1. Basic information, standardised across states should be collected by a

single portal for ease of data compatibility and collaboration.
2. Data from existing registrations on state portals should be migrated first
to the single portal
3. Information collected through offline registration processes (police
stations etc) should be entered on the same portal by the officials in a
time-bound manner.
4. The portal could include work-flow features such as verification and
approval of migrant traveler lists by district authorities, assigning lists
to state authorities to generate requests for trains, matching trains to
passengers and sending travel related information to migrant workers.
5. This portal should be developed in consultation with the Ministry
of Labour to serve as a starting point for building a record of migrant
workers, who are particularly vulnerable.
6. The portal can be developed in collaboration with different stakeholders
by taking up an ongoing effort between two states to ensure that it meets
their needs. The single portal can be piloted first with states like Tamil
63
 Nadu, Karnataka and Jharkhand who are currently working on the
logistics. .
7. There is an urgent need for a coordinated grievance redressal and helpline
mechanism and that needs to have information from across states and
ideally should be coordinated by the Centre. Creation of a national
helpline and help desks to support all migrants is therefore essential.
8. The registration of workers on the portals should be unconditional. At
present many states are only allowing migrants who have been detained
on the way in shelter homes, schools or other kinds of accommodation
provided by the government.

We hope that the MHA considers these minimal set of measures outlined
above regarding the travel for those workers who wish to return. We are also
happy to participate in any consultative role that is appropriate and suitable
for the MHA in this regard.

Sincerely,

On behalf of the Stranded Workers Action Network

Anindita Adhikari (9871832323) ([email protected]),
Rajendran Narayanan (9620318492) ([email protected])
Sakina Dhorajiwala, (9833419391) ([email protected])
Seema Mundoli (9449818468) ([email protected])

On behalf of covid-india.in
Aditya Srivastava (9810389569) ([email protected])

On behalf of GramVaani
Aaditeshwar Seth ([email protected])

On behalf of CoAST India

Vivek S., LibTech ([email protected])

On behalf of Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network

Minhaj Ameen ([email protected]),

64
Endnotes
1. Based on a desk review of orders and announcements and clarifications
from nodal officers (where we were able to get through) we have compiled
information on https://migrants.covid-india.in/, available in 8 languages.
We are a group of activists, researchers, lawyers and students who came
together to collectively track the rapidly evolving situation after the
nation-wide lockdown was announced in light of COVID-19 outbreak.
2. Gram Vaani operates several voice-based media platforms that facilitate
information sharing among users, and also facilitates grievance redressal
and response via a network of community volunteers. During the period
of the lockdown, over 100K users have accessed information through
500K phone calls, contributed over 6000 voice reports about ground
realities, and over 500 testimonials have been reported about access to
relief measures facilitated by community volunteers.
3. The Covid Action Support Team (CoAST) was formed in April 2020. It is
a collaboration of civil society organizations who are working together to
ensure that citizens (especially migrant and vulnerable sections) are able
to receive help and relief during the COVID-19 lockdown and thereafter.
The platform connects those in distress with nearest relief - either
government or civil society organisations.

65
Letter 2: Written by Mr. Jignesh Mevani, MLA Vadgam, Gujarat to the
CM of Gujarat on behalf of SWAN

To,
20 May 2020
Shri. Vijay Rupani,
Chief Minister,
Gujarat State

Subject: Plight of the migrant workers in Surat, Ahmedabad, Vadodara

who want to return home

Respected sir,

I am writing to bring to your attention the plight of migrant workers

stranded in several parts of Gujarat. In particular, I want to highlight the
cases of about 70000 workers who are stranded in Mora and Hazira in
Surat. In addition to these, I have specified the details of the several other
groups of workers in other parts of Gujarat. It seems that all these 70,000
workers are caged and confined so that their cheap labour can be used by
the companies, the state of Gujarat is in connivance with. Is there a design
on your part to create some sort of modern day slavery to entertain the
capitalist greed of your friends?

I would urge you to take immediate action to send these workers back home
and take care of their food and medical needs until they are in our state. We
have a responsibility to take care of them & facilitate their travel during this
very difficult lockdown.

Volunteers of Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN), Public Union for

Civil Liberties (PUCL) and Gujarat Sarvodaya Mandal (GSM) have reached
out to me to help these workers. I have personally spoken to some of the
migrant labourers stranded in Mora and Hazira. In this region, about 70000
migrants who work in companies like Larsen & Tubro, Reliance, NTPC and
Essar. Several of these workers have not received food or their wages in the
period of the lockdown. Now they are desperate to return to their homes,
closer to their families.

No Wages, Food Security & Eviction

We have found that all of the workers who we spoke with have not received
wages since the lockdown from the company they were employed at
companies such as A.J Engineering and Arvind Engineering, that were
66
subcontracted by Larsen & Toubro Pvt. Ltd. two such persons have still
not received wages for work done before and during the lockdown. The
industries are running at a low capacity, and the few workers working there
during the lockdown receive only lunch. The panchayat support has been
woefully inadequate — some workers report that they received only ten days
of ration in the lockdown which has extended for over 50 days. Many of the
workers have been threatened by their landlords that they will be evicted. In
one case, the water supply of the household has been cut off.

Travel to Home States

The administration has stalled the returning process for over 10 days. In
addition to that workers are saying that they are being charged Rs. 700 per
head to go back home. Instead of ensuring their timely payment of wages
and adequate ration, we have been responsible for keeping them poor,
hungry and desperate to go home. A worker said to us that he would rather
have “namak and roti” with his parents than suffer here.

Details of Stranded Workers

Hazira & Mora, Surat: Tens of thousands out of 70000 stranded workers
want to return to Jharkhand & Bihar. Contact Person: Anushka Kale: +91
7619404770
Group of 70 people trying to get to Jharkhand, UP, Bihar, many had
registered multiple times, waited for the promised intimation from
authorities on when a train was scheduled. They got no information from
the authorities. The Dy. Collector or the Collector, Vadodara did not even
speak to the people of Gujarat Sarvodaya Mandal who went to ask for help
for the workers. They have been kept in the dark completely, as to when
they will be able to return. Contact Person: Anand: +91 94083 09197
More than 350 migrant workers from Garhwa, Palaumu and other parts of
Jharkhand are stranded in Ahmedabad. Contact Person: Nitish Kumar: +91
8800725131

It is my humble request that the State Government should take the

following steps to ensure the safe return of our migrant brothers and sisters.

The Police Department should put in the public domain the process
of registration, date & timings of the transport available. Furthermore,
there should be a wide dissemination of the selection process for return
journeys. They must also make available the details of the workers who have
registered to go back.
On registration, each worker should get a dated acknowledgement receipt,
which will serve as a guarantee that the Government of Gujarat will ensure
67
their safe return.

The Government of Gujarat should immediately request trains for workers

to go back. This should be free of cost for the migrants. For specific districts
like Jaunpur from which a lot of migrants belong, special trains should be
arranged. While they are on the train, food and medical supplies should be
provided.

The workers have been very reluctant and scared to share their stories with
us. I request you to ensure that these cases are dealt with utmost empathy
and sensitivity. Kindly ensure that the workers of Hazira, Mora, Ahmedabad
& Vadodara do not have to endure any more physical and mental abuse. Let
us take prompt action and treat them with respect and dignity.

Yours sincerely,

Jignesh Mevani,
MLA, Vadgam -11

68
Letter 3: Letter to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra

May 20th 2020

To, Shri. Uddhav Thackeray Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of

Maharashtra

Subject: Suggestions regarding ration and travel arrangements of migrant

workers in Maharashtra

Dear Sir,

We are writing on behalf of Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN),

a group of civil society workers, academicians, students and professionals
that have supported migrant workers navigate the lockdown. Since March
27th, we have helped over 27,000 migrant workers across India gain access to
rations, emergency cash transfers, and information on travel arrangements
by connecting them to governmental and non-governmental agencies. In the
process, we have documented their needs and experiences and released two
reports on April 15th and May 1st.

We must begin by acknowledging the enormous challenge faced by the

Government in responding to COVID-19. We appreciate your prioritisation
of ensuring the health and safety of all residents of Maharashtra and also
citizens of Maharashtra who are outside the state borders. We would like
to extend our support to the government’s efforts in fighting the pandemic.
Outlined here are some observations regarding roadblocks in the current
strategy and suggestions to overcome them.

Observation of current processes and its effects:

1. Workers have run out of money, ration, loans and dignity:

We have seen the spirit of the workers devolve from grit to indignation. Most
of the workers have run out of their savings. They have been surviving on
the charity of fellow workers, or NGOs, which have also exhausted their
reserves. The cooked food provided to them is insufficient in most cases
and runs out by the time the workers line up. Due to the heat and humidity,
many workers have complained that the food served has been spoiled.
In effect, most of the workers are not able to feed themselves even one
complete meal per day. Based on our interactions with about 5000 workers,
95 percent have not received any rations from the government despite trying.

69
2. Workers are eagerly waiting for affordable transport arrangements:
On Labour Day, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced the arrangement
of Shramik Express to transport the workers to their respective states.
The news came as relief to all the workers and they followed the protocol
set by the Maharashtra government. The necessity of a medical certificate
punched a big hole in the worker’s pockets. Yet, most workers paid for
medical tests before the announcement to waive off the certificate was
made. Thousands of workers are now out of money and are waiting
helplessly for updates from the police
stations. The government must ensure that the workers who wish to return
should be sent home in a dignified manner, free of cost.
There is also confusion regarding the availability and reach of MSRTC
busses. The GR dated 9.5.20 (Sr.No 202005121419281519) generously offers
transportation to all workers to their home-states, and states that a sum of
Rs. 21 Cr. was allocated for this purpose. Yet there have been no operational
busses from most areas including Mumbai, and those that have gone, only
dropped the workers at the border. The same circular also states that this
service will operate until 17th May only. This may be too short a period.
Given the number of migrants in Maharashtra we estimate that evacuations
will last much longer. The trickle of workers walking to their home states
is now turning into an avalanche that will bring catastrophic hardships on
them as well as on the law keepers and citizens that they pass along the way
home.
3. Incomplete and delayed communication leading to panic:
Differing information on offline and online procedures and processes for
travel are causing confusion and panic amongst the workers. The schedules
of the trains and buses are not public, leading to crowding and protests by
workers.

There have been reports of impolite behavior and misconduct on the

part of some law-enforcement officials, ranging from illegal selling of
registration forms, to workers being beaten up for enquiring about the
status of trains. Workers must be able to look for help without threat and
fear.

Suggested Action Points:

Given our observations on-ground, we are making the following

suggestions:

1. For ration and daily necessities of workers:

a. Each ward should ensure that the workers residing in them are provided
70
with ration kits and stove fuel to sustain their stay until transportation is
provided.

b. The Centre has announced that migrant workers can access rations
through PDS shops without possessing a local ration card. The procedure
for this should be disclosed and widely publicized, and corresponding
measures should be taken to equip PDS shops with adequate rations.

c. Community kitchens must be examined every week by municipal

functionary to ensure quality food. To ensure correct estimates, they may
register the workers in a suitable manner.

2. For transport of workers:

a. Actively pursue mutual coordination and planning with home-states of
workers to boost the Shramik train services.

b. Government of Maharashtra should arrange free of cost travel by train for

the stranded workers, as many other State governments have declared.

c. Extend the facility of free transport by MSRTC busses for at least two
months to ensure complete evacuation.

d. Make public, the schedules of trains and MSRTC busses to avoid

confusion and chaos arising out of rush and desperation. Ensure there are
lists put up outside every police station and public place.

There should also be announcements on loud speakers like the police have
already been doing about other health safety measures.

e. The police stations and other nodal offices must be updated everyday with
correct information. Communication between the arms of the government
can be improved so that any contradictory information is rapidly corrected.
A board must be placed in the premises of these offices displaying the latest
government orders and transport schedules in Marathi as well as Hindi.

f. Provide clear guidelines and information for obtaining clearances for

travel by private vehicles, for those who choose to do so.

g. Rather than concentrating all facilitation and registration at one venue,

i.e Police stations, distribute the crowds evenly by using other government
buildings such as schools, colleges, stadiums etc. This will ensure better
adherence of social distancing rules. Whether the registration process is on
71
paper or online, workers should get an acknowledgement receipt.

h. We urge the government to communicate to all its officers the need for
a sensitive approach towards the workers. Government agencies should
prioritise proactive and empathetic communication with the workers.

3. For collaborative action with civil society:

a. Ask the district collectors, ward members and police department to

actively share information on accessible social media such as Twitter. This
will also serve as a communication channel to highlight important issues.

b. Local administration should initiate a meeting of representatives of local

NGOs and civil society organisations to assess strengths and possibility of
mutual collaboration. This will enable a synchronised effort in handling the
crisis more effectively at the local level in the long-run.

Dear Sir, we hope that the Chief Minister’s Office takes note of these
suggestions and actively incorporates them in Maharashtra’s response to the
COVID crisis. We are happy to participate in any consultative role that is
appropriate and suitable for the Government of Maharashtra in this regard.

Sincerely,

On behalf of Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN), Adwait

Deshpande, (8275602122) ([email protected]) Sakina
Dhorajiwala, (9833419391) ([email protected]) Bhakti G., (8104617298)
([email protected]) Anul Jain (9916296031) ([email protected])
A copy of this letter has also been emailed to: 1. Shri. Ajoy Mehta – Chief
Secretary, Government of Maharashtra 2. Shri. Vijay Kharage – Principal
Secretary to Chief Minister of Maharashtra

72
73
74
75
End Notes
5 https://www.huffingtonpost.
1 https://www.imf.org/en/ in/entry/food-hunger-migrant-
Publications/FM/Issues/2020/04/17/ workers-piyush-goyal_
Fiscal-Monitor-April-2020- in_5ebe1a33c5b6ee0b69e85602
Chapter-1-Policies-to-Support-
People-During-the-COVID-19- 6 https://cse.azimpremjiuniversity.
Pandemic-49278 edu.in/covid19-analysis-of-impact-
and-relief-measures/
2 (Writ petition (civil) Diary no
10801/2020) by Harsh Mander 7 https://www.dvara.com/research/
and Anjali Bharadwaj vs Union of social-protection-initiative/covid-19-
India. The petition sought wage impact-on-daily-life/
compensation for migrant workers
in addition to food. Referring to the 8 https://thewire.in/law/supreme-
arbitrary order of the lockdown of court-migrant-workers-crisis-
24th March, the petition argued that abdicate-responsibility
it resulted in large scale loss of wages
and livelihoods and was a violation of 9 Read full order here: http
Article 21 of the Indian Constitution- zs://images.assettype.com/
-the right to life. In accordance with barandbench/2020-05/be0bccba-
various progressive legislations such e155-4ff3-8dfa-5dc4003a8662/
as the National Disaster Management WPIL_A__583_2020_order_dated_
Act (2005), the Inter State Migrant May_26.pdf
Worker Act (1979) among others, the
petitioners further argued that ‘If in 10 Read the full order here:
violation of the necessary statutes, the https://images.assettype.com/
governments have not maintained barandbench/2020-05/c140ce5f-
records of such workers, it would 05ae-4de1-86a2-589d621a97f5/
be necessary to immediately put in Karnataka_order___Migrants_
place a mechanism for workers to Transportation_May_21.pdf
self-identify and self-attest based on
which the government can release 11 https://www.deccanherald.com/
wages.’ national/scathing-letter-by-senior-
advocates-stir-up-sc-to-take-up-
3 https://thewire.in/government/ migrants-crisis-842599.html
stranded-migrant-workers-rti
12 https://www.hindustantimes.
4 https://www.alnap.org/system/ com/india-news/railway-
files/content/resource/files/main/ protection-force-reports-80-
GNEM%20presser_26April.pdf deaths-on-shramik-trains/story-
psJl3EenY4B0uUYMRvkChL.html
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A Report by the Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN)

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