Farmers Movement Archive

Having missed the bus, school now a shelter for migrants

For those migrants who thought of escaping the confines of space in distant land in Delhi and neighbourhood to comfort of home but missed the bus literally ended up being lodged in temporary care shelters created by city government.After the authorities decided to discourage migrants from leaving Delhi and quietly withdrew the buses transporting them to their native places in Uttar Pradesh, those stuck at the Delhi-UP Border were accommodated in government school Ghazipur.The Tribune Spoke to a few of those residents who seemed comfortable with the arrangements but for an odd one regretting the decision to leave familiar surroundings and comfort of their place near work and venturing out.”We gathered that buses were pinged from Kaushambi depot but by the time we came at 8.00 pm on Sunday the service was stopped. The government should have given us three days to return. Now we are her. While we get everything it is not the same as being at your place” said a lady with a tinge of regret.On behalf of the school centre, a Delhi Government official Ravi Chandra told The Tribune that the school has the capacity of 2000 people and at present some 200 are staying. All arrangements for  are breakfast, lunch, dinner and tea is made and soon these people will be provided personal sanitation kits containing soaps, toothpaste and sanitary napkins, for ladies.After witnessing mass exodus, the Centre asked all states to make alternate arrangements to retain people where they are. Delhi government created additional places of stay in schools for those who wish to shift and also to accommodate migrants.

The Tribune

2020-03-30

New Delhi