Father of three dies after walking 200 kms... India lockdown news - migrant workers

A 39 year old man, Ranveer Singh, a farmer who moved to Delhi from Agra to work as a home delivery executive for a restaurant died in Agra day before yesterday. He collapsed with chest pain possibly triggered by exhaustion from his 200 kms walk. Given his age and the fact that he's survived by his wife and three young children, it is especially unfortunate this happened despite the fact there there were policeman with water and food for people like him trekking home.

But, why was he walking back home?

Many countries are now under lockdown, India included. Unfortunately, the Government has had to declare a sudden lockdown to prevent steeper spikes in Covid-19 disease. People are asked to work from home. When the work is mental and requires a bit of infrastructure, working from home is an option, but what about the people who do physical work for their livelihood? And there are thousands and thousands of those. Many of them who migrated to cities for better work and pay to support themselves and their families back in the villages. Now that the country is under lockdown, they are being forced with no option but to go back home. Without the work here, there is no pay. Without pay, the daily wage workers have no food to eat. And no money for rent, so no place to stay.

Report is that hundreds of thousands of workers, like Ranveer Singh have started back to their villages, back to their families.

Image credit: Reuters

Normally, if they were forced to go back home, they would undertake the journeys back home with money in their pockets and a train or a bus to take them home. However, the lockdown has affected all transport, and now the only option to relocate is on foot!! Yes, for the past couple of days have only been reading about all these people walking/cycling back to the villages from whence they came. All the trains and buses have grounded to a halt.

Image credit: Reuters

Even as I stood stunned reading that one person walked 80 kms (49.7 miles) to go back, I was hit with stories of more people daring longer, much longer journeys. A family's walking 200 kms with their belongings, another 800!! Two brothers have undertaken a 1200 kms (745.65 miles) journey on a bicycle! Who would think that the "weaker" sections of society as they are normally considered are actually very, very strong? Or bold! Now, there might be some who would call this recklessness, but I beg to differ, as they are left with no choice. Like in Ranveer Singh's case.

Image credit: AFP

For all those on the road, I pray they all reach their homes safe. Back in their hometowns safely, with the knowledge and skills they picked up in the cities, they could start business and live happily ever after or come back to the cities later. How I wish this could be the case.

Image credit: Reuters

But, think again. The lockdown was brought about to stop the coronavirus from local transmission. If the migrant workers are lucky, they would reach home safely and ride out this current dreadful scenario. But, if they and us (as a human team) are not lucky, they could be carrying the virus with them to India's hinterland! Where there are no medicines, no knowledge and no infrastructure as will be required to fight this mysterious virus!

Worst case scenario: If they stay, they suffer the most and likely die. If they leave and reach their homes, they and more suffer and likely die. :'(

Or like in Ranveer's case, he left and died on the way. Let's pray this doesn't happen to anyone else and either they all make it back home healthy and safe or the Government is able to help them understand what's happening and give them the strength to endure the lockdown.