Surat: A clash erupted between migrant workers and police personnel in Gujarat’s Surat on Monday after the labourers took to the street demanding that they be sent back to their native places, amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
The group of migrants swelled and resorted to stone-pelting at the police, who had to lob tear gas to disperse them. The gathering consequently saw violation of social distancing norms.
Last week, hundreds of migrant workers had come out on roads and vandalised the office of an under-construction building and vehicles in Surat district.
In another incident on the same day, a policeman was injured after some locals allegedly threw stones at security personnel who were trying to enforce lockdown in Dindoli area of Surat city. Five persons were later detained for the attack on the policemen.
Today’s incident comes in the wake of thousands of migrant labourers returning to their home states on the ‘Shramik Special’ trains arranged by the Central government.
Shivsena spokeperson twitted, These scenes yet again from Surat are heartbreaking, I will not blame the government or the CM here, but some way needs to be found, else will lead to more chaos.
These scenes yet again from Surat are heartbreaking, I will not blame the government or the CM here, but some way needs to be found, else will lead to more chaos. https://t.co/rRzkXIqLqN
— Priyanka Chaturvedi
(@priyankac19)
May 4, 2020
The railways started to running the ‘Shramik Special’ trains for transporting the labourers from May 1, almost 40 days after the passenger, mail and Express trains services were suspended.
Till now the national transporter has run 34 ‘Shramik Special’ trains on the request of the state governments to ferry the migrant labourers.
