Migrant workers hold massive protest

Protesters in Kerala wanted to go to home States

30/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER,KOTTAYAM

Up in arms: Migrant workers staging a protest at Payippad junction, near Changanassery, in Kerala’s Kottayam district, on Sunday.Special Arrangement Special Arrangement

Hundreds of migrant workers staged a protest, defying the lockdown, at Payippad junction on the outskirts of Kottayam on Sunday.

The issue, which threatened to snowball into a law and order crisis, was settled a few hours later, following a swift intervention by the police and the district administration.

Eyewitness accounts suggested that the workers, camping in and around the village, poured into rural roads on Sunday morning in search of essential items, only to find all grocery stores closed. They assembled at the Payippad junction and blocked the Changanassery-Mallapally Road, demanding immediate arrangements for them to return home.

Officials negotiate

As attempts by the police and Payippad panchayat officials to pacify the protesters failed, Collector P.K. Sudheer Babu and District Police Chief G. Jaidev reached the spot and negotiated with them. The stalemate ended by 2 p.m., with a majority of the protesters dispersing. The police also resorted to a mild cane-charge to disperse the others.

While some local residents said a majority of the workers had been starving since Saturday evening and hence staged the protest, the Collector sought to dismiss this claim and said all arrangements were in place for them at the labour camps. “They do not want cooked food. They want to go home, but we cannot make arrangements for that in view of the lockdown. We briefed them of the situation and assured them of all essential items in the camps so that they can cook on their own,” the Collector said.

A meeting convened recently by the Payippad panchayat had directed the owners of the migrant labour camps to provide food to the residents during the lockdown. The meeting, attended by the Station House Officer, Thrikkodithanam, and the tahsildar, also asked the building owners not to evict any resident from the camps. According to some estimates, 10,000 migrant workers have been camping in the panchayat.

Migrant labourers converged on the road at Pattambi in Palakkad district on Sunday as news spread about the large gatherings in Delhi and Payippad. They came out of their quarters and converged on the road near Nila Hospital around 11 a.m., saying they were being denied food and water after curfew was imposed a few days ago.

They alleged that they were without work after the lockdown was announced and their former employers had ignored them.

Pattambi tahsildar K.R. Prasannakumar and the police held discussions with the workers and assured them that food would be made available to them at their quarters.

No let up in cases

COVID-19 cases continue to be reported in the State with 20 more persons testing positive for the disease on Sunday. Eight of the cases are from Kannur, seven from Kasaragod, while one case each was reported from Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram.

The total number of COVID-19 cases reported in the State so far stands at 202. The number of those currently under treatment is 181.

(With inputs

from Palakkad)