Image Source: Twitter
Bengaluru: Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday, May 6, came down heavily on the state government for its decision to cancel the trains it had previously arranged for transporting the migrants back to their native places.
It can be recalled that the state government withdrew from the Southern Railways its request for 10 trains (two trains per day for five days) for the transport of migrant labourers. This move came hours after Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa held a meeting with the builders and contractors, who reportedly expressed their concern that it would be difficult to start construction activities if the migrants went back home.
Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, lambasted the state government for their decision in a series of tweets, terming it “inhuman”.
“The decision of @CMofKarnataka to cancel trains for migrants is not just inhuman but also violation of fundamental rights. #MigrantLivesMatter,” he wrote in the first of the four tweets in the series.
He continued, “The argument of @CMofKarnataka that construction will not happen if migrants go back just exposes @BSYBJP’s mindset. He is willing to sacrifice the lives of helpless labourers for the sake of invisible hands.”
He then argued that the decision to leave or stay back should be left up to the labourers, not the government.
“…Labourers are free to choose health or work. Who will take responsibility if something goes wrong? Are we still practicing bonded labour? For me #MigrantLivesMatter!!” he added.
The decision to go back or to stay back should be with the labourers & not with the government. Labourers are free to choose health or work. Who will take responsibility if something goes wrong?
Are we still practicing bonded labour?
For me #MigrantLivesMatter!!
3/4
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 6, 2020
“Had the interests of labourers been taken care by the concerned stakeholders, migrants may have stayed back. Even govt did little to address their concerns. I strongly urge @CMofKarnataka to arrange trains for those migrants who wish to go back,” he concluded.
Migrants across the country have been demanding that they we sent back to their hometowns amid the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. The Karnataka Government had recently held discussions with other states to facilitate the travel of their migrant workers in special trains.
