Coronavirus lockdown: 81 migrant workers arrested for rampage in Surat

A day after hundreds of migrant workers went on a rampage demanding food and permission to be allowed to travel to their natives, the Surat police arrested 81 migrant workers for rioting, arson and defying lockdown, among other charges. The accused were produced before the court and were released on bail after the police didn't seek their remand. This was the second such clash in the last ten days.

Surat city police commissioner R B Brahmbhatt told DH, "What happened on Friday evening was not a law and order problem. They (workers) were angry and it required a human approach to calm them down." He also said that the workers were treated properly and served food at Sarthana police station and Kapodara police station where they were kept since Saturday night.

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Hundreds of workers had come out of their homes demanding money, food and permission to return to their states. They burnt over a dozen handcarts, tyres, pelted stones at police and damaged three of their vehicles near Vipulnagar under Sarthana police station

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After the situation was brought under control, police deployed units of Rapid Action Force (RAF), and State Reserve Police Force (SRP).

"There are roughly 30,000 to 40,000 workers, mostly from Odisha, employed in the textile factory and involved in embroidery works. Due to the lockdown, we are rendered jobless. Our seth (employers) have stopped paying us. We got barely 10 days salary which are spent already on food. Some people come with ration and distribute them to 50 to 100 persons while they pose for pictures to show that hundreds of households have received them," said Bhadram Jena, a worker, who is staying in the area for more than 20 years with his family.

He told DH over the phone that the majority of the workers have run out of money and supply of ration by the government and NGOs is too less. "We all get in the queue but most of the days the ration is over before it reaches everyone. The workers only want permission to be allowed to go back to their homes since there is nothing else to do," he added.

The Friday rampage was the second incident in Surat where a large number of migrant workers protested violently and attacked police. Earlier, on March 30, 96 migrant workers were arrested following a violent clash with the police after they were not allowed to leave the city.

Meanwhile, Director General of Police Shivanand Jha is said to have shot a letter, dated April 9, to home department warning the government that shelter homes in the state are not properly equipped with even basic facilities which may lead to clashes. Jha didn't respond to calls and messages despite repeated attempts.