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The Bangla Sanskriti Mancha reported yesterday on May 1, Labour Day that migrant labourers from Bengal were forcefully driven out of a quarantine center in Odisha. For the more than a month, 31 migrant labourers from Birbhum and Murshidabad districts ((5 from Rampurhat-2 and 26 from Jangipur, Lalgola and Jalangi) were kept in quarantine at Chuhat Village (P.S- Suryapoda) of Mayurbhanj district in Odisha. The organization said that the local panchayat Pradhan asked them to leave the place with bag and baggage by 7 AM on May 3, 2020 giving the excuse that the lockdown would be over by then.
A member of the organization posted on Facebook that the workers asked for help from the Bangla Sanskriti Mancha over the phone regarding their worry. The members of the organization immediately got in touch with the panchayat Pradhan and asked him to show the government notice for his sudden order. At this time, the organization says that the Pradhan felt embarrassed and promised to provide them with food and accommodation in the same place for some more days.
However, they were suddenly driven out the next morning, out of the primary school, they were quarantined at. They were given a paper document and asked to leave. The member of the organization said, “Even after constant effort from the morning we have failed to contact with the local Pradhan. After hours of dispute helpless migrants finding no other ways have started walking to the border area of Jhargram from Odisha.”
Now these labourers are walking towards Bengal and the organization has alleged that all their pleas to the Odisha government have fallen on deaf ears. The President of the Bangla Sanskriti Mancha, Professor Samirul Islam has sent a message to the central and state government to take a quick action for the workers.
This plight of migrant workers is ironical. While yesterday was Labour Day to commemorate the contributions of these workers on whose shoulders the country rests, the actions taken for their safety and security speak volumes of their importance in the eyes of the government.
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