Open house 2

Lot more can be done for migrants

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Migrants return to their native places has become a major issue. The tricity with its MP and MLAs from the BJP and the Congress can certainly do a lot more for migrants. The Administration should start more buses and trains to ferry migrants to their places of destinations without charging fare. They should be provided good food on the way. We owe much to migrants and treat them well so that they can return after the lockdown ends.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

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Share bread with poor migrants

The tricity authorities should do their bit to look after problems of poor migrants. The Administration should arrange proper transportation and meals for those migrants, who want to leave for their native places. Those who are interested in staying back in the tricity should be looked after well. They should not feel neglected. Moreover, tricity residents should share their bread with the poor. Migrants are the backbone of country.

MR Bhateja, Nayagaon

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Provide transport through rail, road

The labour class is the worst sufferer due to the curfew/lockdown. Labourers are migrating to their native states due to non-availability of food and work. In the present scenario, labourers need sympathy. Employers know more about problems of their employees. So, they can encourage labourers to rethink about their decision of going back to their home states. Even if they want to return, then particular state governments should provide transportation by road or rail. Remember, labourers are also humans.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi, Chandigarh

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Constitute a migrants’ welfare commission

Despite several trips of ‘shramik express’ trains, migrants are venturing out on long journeys and that too on foot while some dying of hunger/exhaustion/accidents on the way. Migrants and work are inseparable. With picking up of commercial and industrial activities due to relaxation in restrictions, demand for additional workforce will tempt migrants to return. The government and other establishments should build proper housing clusters that can be rented out to employers and contractors to negate ‘jhuggi-jhonpari’. Builders should provide proper dwellings to workers on site. The Union Government can constitute migrants welfare commission to regulate their mobility and deployment vis-a-vis dignity, distress and exploitation.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

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Tricity administration should cooperate

Unsure of finding work, food or shelter, hundreds of migrant workers across the country began their journey home on foot. The tricity administration should cooperate and provide essential services to migrant labourers and the homeless poor, who are on roads. They don’t’ have money to buy bus or train tickets. Give free tickets only to them so they can back to their home states.

Vijay Malia, Chandigarh

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Provide work to migrants

Migrants are upset as they are suffering due to the coronavirus. The tricity authorities should solve problems of migrants and poor in time. A good A Jack makes a good Jill. Food and medicine should be provided to them. The authorities should arrange buses and trains for their travel if they want to go to native places. There should be proper arrangement of food and drinking water during their journey. The authorities should provide work to them if they want to stay in the tricity. No one should die without food.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

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Make migrants believe they will reach home soon

We hear every day that number of accidents and deaths of migrants travelling home by foot are increasing. The first step to stop it is to make migrants believe that they will reach their home soon. Most of them have lost hope of reaching home by trains and buses. So, they started travelling by foot. Now, it’s time for the government to become stricter and punish those travelling by foot.

Priyam Aggarwal, Chandigarh

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Increase the frequency of trains

As we daily read about deaths of migrants, the most important step the government should take is to increase the frequency of trains to various states. This will ensure that there are no more accidents involving people travelling on foot. Also, migrants will reach their homes safely.

Isha Aggarwal, Chandigarh

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Can this be Partition revisited?

So it appeared on seeing hapless migrants trudging on highways in thousands. They are never anyone’s baby. Year after year, they descended on us and then disappear on their own. This is time of calamity. All migrants desperately want to rush back home to be with their families. There wasn’t time enough to make some money at the workplace or gather provisions for the flight homewards. Their plight failed to elicit any emergency response, which could have mitigated their hardship. The Centre was constrained to ensure the observance of Covid containment restrictions. Either ways, migrants have fallen into a ping-pong situation, which is now being exploited for political advantage.

Jai Singh, Chandigarh

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It is heart-breaking that our own citizens have been given such a raw deal despite the vociferous sloganeering that India is a welfare state. Labourers should be provided all wherewithal. The PM-Cares Fund must put to good use by giving dignified compensation to the deprived and the dejected. Arrangements should be made to transport migrants to their home states by trains and buses along with adequate food and drinking water. Compensate each person affected by callous neglect. Besides, the next of kin of those, who have unfortunately died or been killed, should be compensated. It is imperative that to ensure their well-being we send medical aid along with transportation arrangements.

Dr SS Bhatti, Chandigarh

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It is never too late to be mindful

Extraordinary situation needs extraordinary measures. Covid-19 crisis has rendered migrants orphans. The government’s apathetic attitude has compounded their problems. When migrants had nothing to fall back on, they started spilling into streets. They started their arduous journey to their home towns on foot in the absence of any transportation. This caught the authorities off guard. Had they let theirs hearth burning, things would not have reached to such a pass. Address problems of vulnerable section of society diligently and swiftly.

Veena Mahajan, Chandigarh

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Poverty has compounded sufferings

Emotionally and financially drained by the lockdown crisis it is shameful that migrants are trudging on foot back to their native states. Some migrants have died and some injured in accidents on way back home. It is true that poverty has compounded Indians suffering. The government has received more brickbats than bouquets for mishandling migrants’ problem. Perhaps it is lack of coordination between states and Centre. Trust deficit among the poor is quite visible. Political parties and ill-timed power play has aggravated humanitarian and health crisis.

The government and civilised people should come together to mitigate migrants woes. There is still time otherwise we will repent.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

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Open industrial hubs in states

Covid-19 and the resultant lockdown have played havoc with the lives of migrant labourers. Most daily wage earners have no food and shelter. They want to go back home. Due to lack of transport and trains, migrants are rushing back to native states on foot, cycles and trucks. There is utter chaos everywhere. Some states have revived the industry to absorb labourers. The states should open industrial hubs to employ them once the lockdown is over.

Harish Kapur, Chandigarh

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Treat migrant labourers with dignity

The government has failed on the migrant labourers front. Else, why should they be walking on roads with families and luggage on their heads in this hot weather to reach homes? These poor people have been left to fend for themselves, treated like scum and even lathicharged on empty stomachs. It’s sad for humanity. They live on daily wages, which they have lost since March 25. The government should arrange for their safe travel back to their homes by special trains and buses without bothering about medical checkup, documents’ and registration. The authorities should also give atleast Rs 2,000 per migrant so that they can purchase their daily need items. At least Rs 5,000 should be provided to those, who wish to stay back. Their rent and electricity/water should be waived off for the next three months. The privileged also need to reach out to these poor people. Corona must die and not our humanity.

Col RD Singh (retd), Ambala Cantt

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Convince migrants not to leave

Migrants make important contributions to the tricity economy. They should not be left to their fate. Migrants need food to survive and some monetary aid to come out of the crisis. To limit reverse migration the government should consider immediate assistance and relief in paying rent to landlords. The tricity Administration should strengthen PDS system, provide subsidised or free food grains and convince migrants not to leave. The MC should start re-carpeting of city roads as it will give employment to migrants.

Col Balbir Singh mathauda (retd), Chandigarh

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Centre, state govts must act responsibly

The deadly Covid-19 has shattered many lives and economy. Apprehending worst situation the exodus of laid off migrants has started. This happened as the government couldn’t gauge pathetic and alarming situation while ordering the lockdown without warming. As of now, much is yet to be done. The Centre and state governments must rise above petty politics and act responsibly through well-coordinated actions and provide adequate facilities for safe repatriation of migrants back to their native states.

SS Arora, Mohali

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Help migrants in any way

Migrants or labourers are backbone of our country. They are anxious to return home due to financial hardships owing to the lockdown. The government should have paid migrants, but help didn’t reach them. Need of the hour is urgent attention to their grievances. Look at their hunger, swollen feet and teary eyes. If we can’t give them lift in our luxurious cars then let us feed them or help them in any other way.

Charu Malhotra, Mohali

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Generate employment to prevent migration

The Administration should take strict action against those migrants, who violate directions and endanger others’ lives. ‘Shramik’ trains are running, but migrants should pay for its tickets to prevent misuse of free service. State governments should generate employment for local people under MNREGA in agriculture and other projects. Migration of labourers creates many problems like mushrooming of illegal colonies and crime. Decades before, lots of migrants used to come from Kerala in the tricity and other places. Due to generation of employment in Kerala, the migration is negligible now.

Dr Shailja Beniwal, Chandigarh