Budget 2021: Worst phase over for migrant workers, they now live in hope

The heartrending scenes of men women and children walking on highways and railway tracks under a blistering sun last year had scores of migrant workers from Mumbai Many of them have returned to the city of dreams hoping they have left behind the worst phase of their lives midday spoke to a few such individuals who are today driven by nothing but optimismJamalludin Khan 45After the lockdown was imposed in March 2020 Jamalludin Khan hoped hamals or porters like him would find some work in the city of dreams By May his optimism had waned and he headed for his home in Basti district of Uttar Pradesh He walked for miles on rail tracks hopped on to trains hitched rides on vehicles During prepandemic days Khan said he would earn Rs 10000 to Rs 15000 a month and send money for his wife and four children ldquoI have a small piece of land in my hometown I did farming for a few weeks but it was not enough to arrange for two meals for my family membersrdquo Khan told midday The 45yearold set out for Mumbai in August In Mumbai Khan began working in essential goods markets in south Mumbai ldquoSince the markets were not operating fully there was little work for porters This led to exploitation since all were desperate for work I earned as much as I used to in my hometown but stayed put hoping that things would improverdquo The dark clouds began to clear for Khan as Crawford Market and Masjid Bunder slowly got back to life ldquoThere are many who left Mumbai with me They ask me whether work has started Gradually porters are returning to Mumbai and we expect we will be back to what we earned earlier in a few monthsrdquoRajendra Gaud 27Rajendra Gaud worked as a helper to a carpenter after he lost his job at a chemical factory in Dombivli PicRajesh GuptaDuring the lsquoold normalrsquo Rajendra Gaud 27 earned about R18000 servicing pumps and motors at a chemical factory in Dombivli After spending six years there he became jobless when it shut down last June ldquoWe were struggling for our daily meals Somehow with the help of a Shramik train we reached our native place Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh Within two months I came back to Mumbai in search of a new job as things had started moving slowlyrdquo Gaud who lives in Mulund said his employer had shifted the factory to Nashik by then ldquoI was offered a job at the same factory but at half salary I didnrsquot take it uprdquo Gaud said Left with no option Gaud started working as a helper to a carpenter ldquoI was supposed to get R9000 per month but have received only 50 per cent of it so far Still there are no jobs and I am going back to my native place in the coming days hoping that this year will bring some good opportunities for people like us who lost their jobs and have struggled a lotrdquo he added18000Rajendra Gaudrsquos monthly salary before COVIDPawan Kanojia 34Pawan Kanojia who runs a laundry and dry cleaning shop in Vashi sold fruits for sometimeAs lsquowork from homersquo became the new normal Pawan Kanojia 34 was among the hundreds of lsquoistriwallasrsquo that saw their earnings dry up overnight Pawan who has a small laundry shop in Vashi began dipping into his savings ldquoI didnrsquot have the slightest hint that the lockdown would destroy my life I had recently renovated my shop and it was doing well I used to save R10 to 15000 after paying electricity bills rent and workersrsquo paymentrdquo said Pawan Pawan left for his home Pratapgarh Uttar Pradesh in May and spent the next few months sitting idle at his parentsrsquo home ldquoAs unlocking began I moved back to Navi Mumbai in Augustrdquo Pawan said But the footfall at his shop had become a trickle He then became a fruit seller to tide over the crisis ldquoI used to go to the APMC market at 5 am to bring fruitsrdquo he said Diwali brought some cheers for Pawan as he saw more and more customers visiting his shop for dry cleaning and ironing ldquoMy savings have gone I have not been able to pay LIC premiums but I have managed to survive I am getting 50 per cent of work that I was getting in JanuaryFebruary 2020 It will take at least another 5 to 6 months to make some profitrdquo he addedKumud Sardar 33Kumud Sardar of West Bengal suffered twin blows lockdown and Cyclone AmphanAs an office boy in an event management company Kumud Sardar was paid Rs 12000 a month When his struggle for a job didnrsquot fructify even after 7 to 8 months the 33yearold changed track The Bhandup resident became a labour contractor ldquoI came from West Bengal five years ago Before lockdown I could easily send money for my wife and two daughters But the pandemic changed everything After I lost my job I applied to 5060 companies without any success I even sold vada pav in Andherirdquo Sardar said he was forced to go back but more hardship awaited him ldquoCyclone Amphan destroyed our farm and house My friend Manoj helped me become a labour contractor I gathered the details of all those who went jobless and started my own employment agencyrdquo He has so far helped 50 people with jobs ldquoI also provide labourers to other contractors and househelps I am happy my work is in progressrdquo