Bengaluru, May 7: Fear and anxiety gripped migrant workers who lined up at police stations in the city on Wednesday to register for train services without knowing that the state government had cancelled the train facility.
Senior officials in South Western Railway said they were ready to run special trains for migrant workers. On Tuesday evening, the state government decided to withdraw the requests made for 13 such trains to north India after realtors said they need the labourers here.
Migrants continued to stream into the railway station at Majestic, Bangalore International Exhibition Centre and even the bus station hoping for some travel arrangement. Many who were aware of the government web portal, stood in front of the BBMP ward office or police stations for enrolment.
In Varthur, over 100 migrants stood in front of the police station and sought to know what happened to the forms they had submitted four days ago. "We first went to the BBMP office and were shooed away by an official who directed us to go to the police station. We want to go home and demanded that the police help us. There was no response first. Then they came out and beat us," said Pintu Kumar from Mohanpur of Bhagalpur district in Bihar.
Though a video clip accidentally shot by Kumar showed two police personnel charging the cane at them, a police officer from the Varthur station, however, disputed the claim. "The video doesn’t show the cane landing on any person. We were beating the seat and tyre of two-wheelers to send the migrants away," he said.
At Mahadevapura, the workers came in groups and submitted the forms at the police station.
At the railway station in Majestic, a group of labourers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand had walked from several areas in south Bengaluru only to be told that there is no train. Mahendra, a labourer from Jharkhand, said they received 5 kg rice and nothing else in the last 45 days. "Now, I don’t want food. I don’t want the job or money. I can't get stuck here. I want to go home,” he said.
'Restore dignity'
Activists and leaders wrote an open letter to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa questioning the decision to cancel trains without consulting labourers and protesting the violation of their fundamental rights.
The letter had support of 522 organisations and individuals, including Dalit rights organisations and trade unions. It urged the government to restore the dignity of the migrant workers. "We demand recognition of the autonomy and dignity of the migrant workers to decide their travel plans. No one should be forced either to stay back or to return to their home states," it said.
Comments
PM Modi is 100 percent correct in saying bjp agent is development, but he did not say whose development. He kept this secret. However, all of us know bjp is working for the development of its high rank officials, business tycoons like Ambani, Adani, Modi etc etc. the only citizend gained from bjp are business tycoons and looters like Modi, Mallya, etc etc. Also gainer is swiss bank. Sab ka saath sab ka vikaas aur aam admi ka satyanaas
Shame on to say our agenda is development who's agenda is killing people in the name of cow, rape on minor children and you made to open bank account every poor man and collected their hardly earned money,even someone lost life on que but you say it is for nation when no rich man lost money or life on demonitisation.All your slogans are must be rewrite, such as MODI HATAO BETI BACHAO,SUB KA SATH SABKA VINASH,People in karnataka teach Bjp perfect lesson it is a state of an educational hub cannot be fooled by empty slogans.
i think Mr Prime Minister forgot he is addressing in karnataka not in UP to fool the people
The worst Government in Karnataka was under BJP rule
Three Chief Ministers
and Yeddyurappa caught in Corruption charges
reddy brothers
continues....
Modiji First try to make corruption free bjp in karnataka then think about the state
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