The situation is getting grim in the country as India battles coronavirus. One of the worst-hit segments in the country is that of migrant labourers. Due to absolutely no jobs and no money left with them, they are having a harrowing time to sustain a living at places where they are stranded. Gujarat saw migrants clashing with the police on Monday as they demanded to go back to their native states but are unable to do so due to the ongoing lockdown.
The workers hurled stones at police, forcing the Surat district police to resort to lathicharge and firing of tear gas shells on these migrants.
A worker furious over the ongoing situation said, "We did not get our salary since March. We don't have money left."
Video goes viral on social media
A video was shared over the social media in which it was seen that there were migrant workers standing on one side and on the other side the police stood, which lobbed tear gas shells later on the migrants.
The police body later detained 70 people. The clash also left vehicles damaged on the Surat-Kadodara road. Most of the migrants who were protesting were from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Some migrants from Orissa also stated that they did not have money to pay for their ticket for going back home.
It should be noted that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has allowed all those who are stranded due to the coronavirus lockdown to go to their native states and this includes migrant workers, tourists, students and other persons. They are being sent home by special trains.
Gujarat being one of the worst affected due to the pandemic has reported 5,428 cases so far and Surat alone has reported 30 deaths until now. About 374 cases were reported from Gujarat on Sunday and the highest single-day deaths with 28 deaths being reported. Gujarat's capital Ahmedabad is a hot spot for COVID-19.
This is not the first time when migrants have clashed with the police in Surat. Not only Surat, but such incidents have also been reported from several other places. It should be noted that in the last protest that took place in Surat, the migrant workers had stated that they were being made to work even during the coronavirus pandemic.
