ABSTRACT
Migrants who returned penniless to West Bengal find that there are no jobs available and prepare to return to cities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown on March 24 at 8 pm in a televised speech to the nation. In Punjab, the lockdown started from March 22 and in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, and Kerala from March 23. And from the evening of that day, people, including the migrant workers, began flooding the railway stations in Pune, Kalyan, and in Mumbai. On March 21, Majid and Ajmira, along with 27 others, from West Bengal, left for Chennai to return to their homes. Majid and the group of migrants from Bengal were forced to take shelter in a lodge near Egmore station, paying Rs. 350 a day for a double room.
