Amid lockdown, migrant workers a content lot in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 20 () Television, indoorgames like carrom and chess for entertainment and evenrecharge for mobile phones are just some facilities providedfor 'guest workers', as migrant labourers are called inKerala, by the LDF government, setting an example to the restof the country.

While migrant labourers in many states are up in armsover lack of facilities given to them, including transport totheir states, the more than 3.5 lakh 'guest workers' in 19,764camps in Kerala have no complaints and are waiting for thedangers of the pandemic to pass.

"The basic needs of the workers like drinking waterand cooking facilities have been ensured. Those who prefer tohave food like chapathi and sabji are given that. Milk issupplied to the camps through state-run Milma.

Along with that, food from community kitchens has alsobeen provided to the workers. Besides, if they wish to preparetheir own food, the required items are supplied to them," asenior official from the Labour Department told P T I.

The state government has also been issuing posters,making announcements and video messages in various languages,including Assamese, Odiya, Hindi and Bengali, among others, tosensitise the guest workers on the deadly COVID-19 and theimportance of social distancing and cleanliness.

Most of the guest workers who shared their thoughtswith P T I, expressed the hope that they would be able to meettheir families after the lockdown ends, but were also worriedabout the jobs in the future.

"I came to Kerala years ago from Maharashtra. My wholefamily is still there. I go there once in a year. Everythingwas well and fine here till this issue," Babu Lal, a guestworker, now lodged at a make-shift camp in a school located inthe capital city of the state, said.

He said those in the camp get breakfast, lunch, snacksin the evening and dinner and they have been following thesocial distancing norms.

"After all this (pandemic scare) is over I will visitmy family. But before going to Maharashtra, I will have towork here for one or two months so that I can save some moneybefore I meet my family," Lal, who speaks and understandsMalayalam well, told P T I.

These workers, the major labour force of Kerala, wereemployed in construction, road works and in hotels,supermarkets and also as private security guards.

Some of them have considered this lockdown period as avacation from their hectic work schedules.

"I have been working in various hotels for nearly adecade in Kerala and at restaurants. The work starts early inthe morning and goes on till late at night. Now our hotel isclosed and we are in this camp. We don't have any work, buthave food and accommodation, along with TV," Gautam, a workerfrom Odisha, said.

Gautam's camp, a government school which houses atleast 215 workers from various states, has two televisionswith cable connection.

Another worker said he was bored of sitting idlewithout any work and was also worried also whether there wouldbe any jobs for them after the lockdown ends.

"We are staying here without any work. The only issueis that we don't have any income as of now. I don't knowwhether there will be any jobs after all this ends. We need tosend money to our families also," Prem Kumar, an Uttar Pradeshresident said.

He was working as a private security guard and laterleft that for a job in a hotel.

Those put up at the Government Central High School,which hosts mainly workers from other parts of Kerala andTamil Nadu and other southern busy themselves in gardening.

"The workers, instead of sitting idle, have been engagedin gardening while maintaining social distancing. By the timeschool reopens, I am sure they would beautifully alter thelandscape. The city corporation has been providing thenecessary equipment which they sought for the purpose," Shine,a city corporation staff in charge of the camp, said.

He said if any worker required medical help, anambulance is brought from the nearest government hospital andthey are taken there for a checkup.

The state has appointed a rapid response team headedby Labour Commissioner Pranab Jyothinath to look into thewelfare of the guest workers.

A district-level team inspects the labour camps in thestate every day to monitor the situation.

In Kochi, Border Security Force jawans spoke to guestworkers at a camp in suburban Perumbavoor, which is home tothe most number of workers from other states.

"There are many workers from other states, includingAssam, Odisha and West Bengal. Our jawans spoke to them intheir language so that they understand the situation properly.We have explained to them what is being done for them inKerala," an officer said.

A video of a home guard conversing in Hindi withworkers from outside Kerala on March 30 and telling them aboutthe dangers of COVID-19 and the need to stay at home andmaintain social distancing, went viral in the social mediarecently.

The measures were intensified after March 29, afterhundreds of migrant workers at Chenganassery in Kottayamdistrict came out on the streets violating the 21-day lockdownrestrictions imposed by the Union government to prevent thespread of pandemic COVID-19, demanding that arrangements bemade for their travel to native villages in north India.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said that thegovernment has made all arrangements for medical assistance toguest workers and was constantly engaging with them to ensuretheir well-being.

He had lashed out at "forces trying to create unrestin society by provoking the guest workers to the streetsduring the pandemic." RRT APR SS