India’s nationwide lockdown amidst the COVID-19 pandemic has critically dislocated its migrant population. Lacking jobs and money, and with public transportation shut down, hundreds of thousands of migrants were forced to walk hundreds of miles back to their home villages – with some dying during the journey. Uttar Pradesh is one of the biggest State in India where a large number of migrant workers had returned from different states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujrat, Haryana & Punjab. Migrant workers headed on foot towards their native places in different parts of Uttar Pradesh. So far, over 23 lakhs of migrant workers have returned to their homes.

Saqidul a 27-year-old lady from Village Goudwa Gwari from Barabanki District Uttar Pradesh is one of the migrant women workers who came back to her village during the lockdown, she was working in Mumbai as a maidservant & living there with her four children & her husband Shahbaz who was an unskilled worker doing scrap loading work. During the conversation with her, she was dismayed in sharing her story of how she came back with suffering during his lockdown. Listening to her story anyone can realize that the situation which the family is facing from the beginning of the lockdown till today is very pathetic. Since the day the lockdown was imposed this family went into stress as they feared to feed their little children. Saqidul said we came back to our home in a very terrible situation once we realized that this lockdown situation is not favourable as their work was at halt & there was no chance of getting further wages also. They were just hand to mouth now & another fear was the journey back to their home in UP. They paid a hefty amount to the Truck driver to whom this family along with their fellow companions hired to reach their native place. She said whatever we had in our hand was not enough for travel & we had borrowed the money to complete the journey.

This Journey was the Journey of pain for them as they came together with more than 40 persons in a truck to a different place of eastern up. More than five thousand Rs. was paid by the family to the lorry owner who moved on after getting the money from all travellers. On the way, in the scorching weather, they were not having food to eat & all the way they got no support to feed their children. Anyhow they manage the journey of four days by eating biscuits along with their little children.

Finally, they reached the destination on the fourth day but still, they were not relaxed as they were trying to enter the village, they were stopped at the entrance by Village Pradhan & other influential people who informed the police &they were Quarantined at the Primary school outside the village. Again, fourteen days were tough for this family without proper sleep & food.  Once more time help them as the quarantine period got over& they were sent to their homes after they found negative in COVID test.

It was like Problem was behind them only, after reaching their home they are living in very meagre conditions. Govt. PDS system for them came as a wonder for the family at this point of time when there are no work & no wages. Family Says the Ration has been taken by us twice to feed the children but still we have a big concern of returning the loan which we had borrowed from a lender during the treatment.

Saqidul says a few months back she had undergone the surgery which saved her life, but the only way they could return the money was working in Mumbai. Though she recovered from her illness after the treatment Covid-19 is the illness which has not only terrified her but also affected her work, her wages & overall her livelihood. She is looking forward to some relaxation in this lockdown so that family can go outside to earn wages. When asked will they be going back to Mumbai after things will go normal, they said sure for money we have to go back because we need to earn & pay our debts. She also says if some sort of support will be given here only to earn their livelihood, they will stay back here & earn.