Migrants take railway tracks to avoid checkposts

A group of migrant workers on way to their native places on foot, trekking alongside railway tracks in Thandur mandal on Wednesday. — Photo: K Srihari 

State Bureau   Mancherial  23.04.2020

The railway line between Secunderabad and Ballarshah Junction of Maharashtra is situated parallel to road route from the capital of Telangana to many parts of Chandrapur district in the neighbouring district. This has come in handy for the hapless migrant workers of North India to avoid checkposts during their marathon journeys from Hyderabad to their native places.

Around 30 migrant workers including 15 women and five children took the railway line in place of road to avoid being stopped by the policemen at an inter-district checkpost in Tandur mandal centre on Wednesday. A brief conversation revealed that they were relying on the tracks for skipping the watch of cops and subsequent denial to their return journey. “With the help of the railway line, we are hoodwinking the cops, whenever we are stopped by police. In fact, travelling distance is slightly lower when compared to that of road from Hyderabad to several parts of Chandrapur district,” a migranworker told ‘Telangana Today’ over the phone. The workers began their journey to their native district Gondia in Maharashtra on foot four days back. They exuded confidence that they would reach it by four days. They disclosed that the relying on the railway track had its own demerits. “You don’t find the public or voluntary organisations that are coming to rescue of the migrants on the way, by providing food and breakfast and shelter” the worker regretted. 

“Using the railway tracks to commute a destination is a risky move. Goods trains are operational on the line, posing threat to the workers. Walking along the track is tougher than that of the road. You need to bear the sharp edged concrete and to cross high-level bridges built across rivers and streams,” said K Santosh Kumar, a president of Abhinava, voluntary organisation from Tandur.