Woes of migrant labourers: Pregnant migrant laborer delivers baby while walking home

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A pregnant woman and her husband started walking from Nasik in Maharashtra and were walking towards their home in Satna, Madhya Pradesh.

A pregnant migrant laborer who was walking to her village in Madhya Pradesh gave birth on the way. After giving birth, she rested for 2 hours and then started walking  for another 150 kilo metre.

During the long and strenuous walk home, she experienced labour pain on Tuesday, her husband said, “After she gave birth, we rested for two hours and then we walked for at least 150 kilo metre.”

AK Ray, Satna Block Medical Officer said, “We got to know that the administration at border arranged a bus for them, as they reached Unchehara we brought them here. All check-ups have been done, both mother and the baby are doing fine.”

Though the government had started Shramik Special trains for migrant labourers , it was of no use to the poor as most of them could not afford the train fare or oblivious about their chance to board the train.

The lockdown has brought their lives and livelihood of the migrant workers in the cities to a halt. Hence, the poor migrants across states have dared to take to the roads to go back home.

Some have managed to hire vehicles, some are climbing up trucks, tempos or riding cycles for hundreds of kilometre. Many others have made a choice to walk the distance.

A group of 16 migrants from Madhya Pradesh, who were walking back from Maharashtra, were run over by a goods train last week. They were exhausted  after a long walk and fell asleep on the railway tracks.

Another 34 years old migrant labourer died on his way home to Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda  onboard a Shramik Special train in Satna on Tuesday.

ALOS READ: Yogi Adityanath “No migrants returning to UP on foot”, says to officials