Chandigarh, May 8 - Everyone loves their home. Despite this, many people have to leave their homes and go to other places in search of livelihood and for making their lives better. But at times the situation becomes such that they face hardship.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, not only in the country, but the entire world, industries and businesses have come to a standstill. Due to the lockdown implemented across the country to overcome COVID-19, those who have been affected the most, are the migrant labourers. In Haryana as well, a large number of migrant labourers came in search of livelihood. Some of them were engaged in factories and some were contributing to the progress of Haryana by joining activities like construction. But during the lockdown, when their livelihood was affected due to the pandemic, the State Government was bound to be worried.
In the present scenario, Chief Minister Mr. Manohar Lal has directed the entire Government machinery, including District Administration, that during the lockdown there should be appropriate arrangements for food and shelter for every migrant labourer and no migrant labourer should feel that they are miles away from home. This is the reason that shelter homes were provided in the entire state with adequate arrangements for food and shelter for labourers while at the same time ensuring that our ‘guests’ do not face any difficulty.
When the Central Government gave some relaxations in the third phase of the lockdown, and there were possibilities that these labourers could go back home then Haryana Government again proactively arranged for the return of these workers. Further in this sequence, more than 2,400 migrant labourers were sent to Bihar from Hisar railway station by special Shramik trains for two consecutive days. The warm and affectionate manner in which these guests were seen off to their homes by the district administration overwhelmed everyone.
On the platform number 1 of Hisar railway station, a migrant labourer was walking towards the platform with his 6-year-old daughter on his shoulder. He was then met by some people at the railway station who gifted the little girl a Barbie doll and some chocolates, thereby, giving the family a warm reason to return to Haryana. A team also gave the worker a packet of food, a bottle of water and a ticket. This pleasant experience deeply touched not only this one worker but every worker who left for Bihar. As soon as the whistle of the train was blown, these workers expressed their gratitude to all the officers and employees for all the arrangements by clapping and waving hands.
In fact, Dr. Priyanka Soni, Deputy Commissioner, Hisar, has been instrumental in ensuring best arrangements for workers through the District Red Cross Society. An attempt was made to give them the message that we are concerned about their feelings, their needs and their difficulties. The heartfelt invitation and empathetic behaviour of the administrative officers of the district made all the migrant labourers to think that their connection with Haryana was more than that of an 'employer and labourer'.