Tamil Nadu workers in Karnataka reach home after struggle

TNN | Mar 28, 2020, 10.29 AM IST

KRISHNAGIRI: Stranded in Karnataka without any work and earnings to run their families due to national lockdown, at least 136 Tamils returned to their native villages in Tiruvannamalai district on Friday. The journey back home was harrowing for all of them.

Working in different parts of Karnataka, they first managed to reach Majestic bus station in Bengaluru city in trucks. From there, they started walking home at 2am on Friday. They reached Hosur, which is nearly 40km away, at 8am and officials at the check post could do little to stop them. They walked for another 40km, but this time the Krishnagiri police stopped them near the office of district superintendent of police. Most of the workers were denied payments by their employers, going against Centre's orders.

M Samikannu, of Cheyyar in Tiruvannamalai district, said he was working in a factory at Tumkur in Karnataka. "The factory downed its shutters on Tuesday night and the owner asked us not to come for work until the coronavirus issue was sorted out." A daily wager, he used to earn 300 a day with which he used to run the family. He decided to return home as there was no other way to earn bread and butter for his family during the lockdown period. When he reached Tumkur bus stand with his wife and two children on Wednesday, the area was deserted and there was no public transport available. Left with no other option, he waited there and managed to get into a truck laden with vegetables that was heading to Bengaluru city on Thursday evening.

"The truck driver demanded 500 per head. I paid him the money as we were desperate to reach home after such a tiring wait at the bus stand," Samikannu said. He shelled out 2,000 to reach Bengaluru city, which is 75km away from Tumkur.

From Bengaluru, he joined other Tamils from his district and started walking to their native early on Friday as there was no other way out.

T Kishore Kumar, another member of the team, said he was working in a coffee estate in Coorg. A native of Gingee in Tiruvannamalai district, he was also accompanied by his family members.

The group reached Krishnagiri town on Friday morning. Police officials stopped them and contacted collector S Prabhakar after the team members recounted their harrowing tale. The collector subsequently directed transport department officials to arrange them buses to return to their native. Revenue officials, meanwhile, provided them food and water. Later, they were screened for Covid-19 symptoms and taken to their native places in Tiruvannamalai district in two buses.