Migrant labourers gather at Bandra station demanding to go home

Some of them even claimed that they had not received food packets for several days. Picture/Pradeep Dhivar

More than a thousand people gathered at the Bandra Railway Station on Tuesday demanding that they be allowed to go back to their homes in other parts of the country. Despite their efforts, the police weren't able to peacefully contain the crowd and as people started to push and shove, policemen unleashed a lathi charge on them.

The people who had gathered were residents of Naupada, Behrampada and other slum areas near Bandra. Mostly migrant workers, they stated that they were living in cramped conditions in their rooms and wanted to return home. Some of them even claimed that they had not received food packets for several days.

Political leaders from various parties showed up at the spot to try and calm down the people. The police initially tried to allow distribution of 1500 grocery packets by asking people to come in a line. However, the crowd got out of hand and people panicked thinking that they won't get enough.

Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, additional commissioner of police said, "We are trying to arrange for shelter homes for them so that people who are living in cramped conditions can have some space to stay."

Migrant labourers collect food packets from the truck brought by additional commissioner of police. Picture/Ashish Rane

While addressing the state, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that the incident that took place at Bandra was unfortunate. Uddhav said that the migrant labourers might have thought that the trains will start from April 14 and so they would be able to go back to their villages.

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