Without work, daily-wagers say scared of hunger, not infection

Sukhmeet Bhasin
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, May 7

Gurmail Singh, a daily wage earner in his early twenties, travels more than 20 km from his village near Bucho to Bathinda every day in search of work, but to no avail. The Covid-induced lockdown has made it difficult for him to sustain his family of seven.

“I am returning empty handed for a fourth day in a row. I don’t even have money for bus fare. Covid doesn’t scare us. We are worried about arranging two square meals a day,” said a dejected Gurmail, while sitting at a bus stop near the cantonment area.

Another labourer Bhola Singh of Mansa said, “I have never seen such a situation. We move out in search of work in the morning, but return home empty handed. The government must provide us relief, least we will die of hunger.”

The second Covid wave has dealt a harsh blow on labourers. Sonu Maheshwari, head of NGO Naujawan Welfare Society, said, “There are hundreds of daily wage earners across the state. Most of them are surviving on whatever little savings they have, while many others are forced to sleep on empty stomach.” He said the government must come to the rescue of these labourers who had been out of work for many days.

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