Special train carrying 1,383 labourers reach Bhopal from Guj

For Yograj Yadav, a resident of Madhya Pradesh who travelled in a special train from Morbi in Gujarat on Monday, the sense of security matters the most at this moment amidst the COVID-19 crises, but he also knows well that his life would never be the same again anytime soon. Yadav is one of the 1,383 labourers who reached Habibganj railway station here this morning in a Shramik Special train from Morbi.

When asked whether he will go back once the coronavirus-induced lockdown is lifted, Yadav sounded undecided. "I will see whether I will be able to go back to Morbi or not after the lockdown is lifted, as the factory where I work is likely to remain closed for the next 4-5 months," he said.

A group of Yadav's companions also nodded in agreement. Most of the migrant workers like Yadav who arrived in the special train hailed from Raisen, Rewa-Sidhi, Chhindwara, Shahdol, Guna, Sehore districts to name a few. They work in Morbi, the tile manufacturing hub of India.

They are simply happy that they could make to their homes in the midst of the extended lockdown. "We are on our way to Satna after alighting at Habibganj. We are looking forward to meet our family members after a long time," a migrant worker said.

Another labourer, Vinod Suryawanshi, said he was headed towards his village in Raisen district. "My family members are eager to see me after so many days. We faced very difficult time in Morbi," he said, adding that his employers arranged for their tickets and took good care of them.

From Habibganj, these labourers boarded 13 special buses for their home districts..