In the early hours on Friday, May 8, 2020, 16 migrant workers were killed after coming under a goods train in the Aurangabad district. The workers were walking to Bhusawal from Jalna when they got exhausted and slept on the rail tracks. They were mowed down by the train at 5.15 am. Maharashtra politics stalwart Devendra Fadnavis took to Twitter to express grief and shock over the incident. Balasaheb Thorat, a member of the Indian National Congress also took to Twitter to condemn the incident, further stating the seriousness of the situation where displaced migrant workers are concerned.
Extremely saddened & shocked to know about the #Aurangabad rail accident where migrant labourers lost their lives.
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) May 8, 2020
My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.
The issue of migrant workers stranded in the state is getting serious by the day. @INCMaharashtra is ready to pay for the travel expenses of migrants wanting to go back to Gujarat. It is unfortunate that despite this the Gujarat govt is not accepting them@INCGujarat
— Balasaheb Thorat (@bb_thorat) May 8, 2020
The Ministry of Railways has ordered an inquiry after the mishap. Taking to Twitter, the Ministry informed that the injured have been taken to the hospital. The public relations officer (PRO) stated that the loco pilot informed the ministry of the accident further adding that five of them were saved and immediately taken to the hospital. The RFP and local police rushed to the spot right away and took the injured to receive intensive care.
This news comes at an unfortunate time when thousands of migrants are stuck all over the country as a result of COVID-19. The incidents have brought the plight of millions of poor Indians under the scanner who migrate from villages to cities in search of livelihood. As a consequence of the lockdown, they are now left stranded far away from home, with no jobs or money.
Even though the issue of migrant workers may not be entirely unique to India, but the sheer scale of it is worrisome, to say the least. There are more than 40 million migrant labourers across the country which makes it difficult for the government to provide relief to everyone. Most move from villages to work in the cities as domestic helpers, drivers, and gardeners, or as daily-wagers on construction sites, building malls, flyovers, and homes, or as street vendors. COVID-19 has not only hit the healthy but the poor, as daily wage labourers, suffer the most during this lockdown.
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