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
Viren Kotian,
Kumar,
Yogesh,
Danish.
George
Shiva
Naren,
Please guys, U guys with all worldly intelligence look like FOOLISH... Dont jump to name an innocent as Terrorist...
Think before YOU blame others
Only U wake up when it happens to you or your own families .
When some is blaming without PROOF ... They are called FOOLS and HYPOCRITE.
Please next time use your God given intellectual and VERIFY before you jump like MONKEYs...
This guy is proved innocent and you guys are proving us that WE can make U dance with any news that is presented to YOU Guys cos U guys never USE your intellect to VERIFY what is Said...THINK and PONDER.
Naren Kotian ......if you need the proof, pls visit the Bhatkal police station and find out who placed the meat bag in NAGABANA to create disturbances ..... this Bastard terrorist should be nakedly hanged.....
wow superb ... third rated jihadist ... hang this bastard ... mostly he arranged passports for islamic state or ISI porkis to conduct bomb blast ... rikacha sumne koorappa, jaathi buddi yelli bidtheera .. we are seeing how your community is doing , proof beka .. proof kotru neev accept madalla .. so waste .. burnol kodla rikacha ?hahahaha
Also arrest the officials who issued him those passports......they are the sponsors of these terrorists.....where are the officers who made his verification.....don't let people laugh at our passport agencies and government.
Do not count chickens before they are hatched? It is normal that painting Muslims with anti nationals and terrorists etc.....
Super and timely catch... Now Amnesty international will start fighting for this anti national's rights. We should make sure he does not escape.
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