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Kerala Police Arrest Bengal Native For Organising Migrant Workers Protest In Kottayam District
Migrants protesting on the streets in Kerala (Pic via Matrubhumi)
Kerala police have arrested one person in connection with the huge protests by migrant labourers in the state at Payippad near Kottayam on Sunday (29 March).
Kerala Kaumudi reported that a Bengal native Muhammed Rinchu had been taken into custody as he had contacted the migrants on his mobile phone to come together for the protest.
Police said they had examined details with regard to his mobile.
Police also said that ahead of the protest gathering by migrant workers, several voice clips were circulated through their mobile phones.
The speaker in voice clips promised them to arrange transport facility to go back to their hometowns like the arrangements made for migrant labourers who had gathered in Delhi.
There were photos and visuals of vehicles being arranged for workers in North India. The circulated messages also said that their demand would be accepted only if they protested.
On Sunday, 3,000 inter-state migrant labourers took to the streets in Payippad defying the nationwide lockdown to combat the pandemic Coronavirus (Covid-19) and blocked the Changanassery-Mallappally Road from 11.30 am.
Over 10,000 migrant labourers, mostly from West Bengal and Assam, live in labour camps in Payippad Gram Panchayat. Locals there say that many of these migrants are actually from Bangladesh.
The migrants hit the streets as they had been starving since Saturday evening (28 March) and despite complaining, they received no food or help.
The migrants also sought arrangements to send them back home immediately.
Following their protests, government authorities, including the Kottayam district collector P K Sudheer and police chief G Jaidev assured them free food and accommodation during the lockdown lasting till 15 April.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister P Thilothaman claimed that the district administration has been providing food and accommodation. He alleged that the workers were instigated to stage the protest.
The protest had the potential to put the lives of hundreds at the risk of contracting Covid-19. Till now, Kerala had reported 202 Coronavirus cases. Twenty of the affected have recovered, while the pandemic virus has claimed one life.
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