Worker boards train with heavy heart

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 22

Migrant worker Sukhdev Yadav (42) made several attempts to return home in Uttar Pradesh. But for the nationwide lockdown, he failed every time, making him restless. He wanted to be with his ailing home.

On Friday, he finally boarded Shramik train from here. But it was too late. His mother passed away on May 14. The “antim ardas” is on Saturday.

Before boarding the train, Yadav said, “My mother was diabetic. She was ill for the past several days. When lockdown was imposed, I started looking for ways wanted to go back to my village. I am thankful to the district administration for starting trains to UP but, unfortunately, I will not be able to see her.”

For the past two weeks, he had been running from pillar to post to make arrangement to reach home. He enquired about private buses, but high fare forced him to look for other options. On May 8, he applied online for Shramik train.

Yadav, who worked at a local shop, boarded the train with a heavy heart and a sense of uncertainty. “I don’t know whether or not my family and I would be allowed to attend the ‘antim ardas’ as I have heard that the persons who come from other states to UP are required to stay under quarantine for two weeks.”

The train will take him to Basti district in UP. From there, he will have to find a mode of transportation to reach his village in Faizabad.

About 8 lakh migrants in Ludhiana have registered online to return home. So far, the district administration has sent 1.5 lakh migrants home by train.