Thread by @vrsrini

First, a lockdown is announced with a 4 hour notice period and without any preparations for the massive job losses for daily wagers/ casual labourers, which most migrant workers are in many Indian cities. (1/n)

Then, when workers ran out of jobs, essentials, social nets, they couldn't avail transport services to go back to their native places which offered them atleast a semblance of a social net as transport was shut down. Some buses were started and then they were shut. (2/n)

Then workers were asked to avail facilities provided by State governments where food and shelter were to be given to them. Data showed that except for Kerala & Delhi (to some extent), other States couldn't set this up sufficiently for such people. (3/n)

Soon, left to their own devices, workers began their Long March, walking on highways and some following train tracks to their native places. In the initial days of the lockdown, many of them had to face injury from police lathis over and above their indignities. (4/n)

Some thought that once the 21 days (just 3 more than the great Mahabharata "yuddh") would be over (as promised by our Dear Leader), they would get to avail trains to go back home. To their consternation, trains weren't started (5/n)

And so more migrant workers went on the Long March. With economic prospects withering away, they were soon disillusioned and sought to not just go back home but many who were spoken to, told how they never wanted to return. Such was their pain and indignity. (6/n)

Then, more than a month after the #Lockdown and after its extension, the Home ministry finally remembered that trains had to be started and the #shramik trains were launched even as many were already on the road or already home. (7/n)

But while many managed to get on to the trains, in some States such as #Karnataka, some migrant workers were for a time being prevented from taking the trains. Apparently the construction industry suddenly remembered the workers' worth and asked the govt to hold them back (8/n)

And so, more migrant workers took to the road, before the #Karnataka government was compelled to restart train services. Meanwhile even in States where train services began, confusion has reigned (thehindu.com/news/cities/ch…) (9/n)

Courts aren't supposed to take over executive roles or policy. But an acknowledgement of the way in which announcements have been made & implemented by the government would have been in order, at least to understand the plight of the poor (for no fault of theirs). (10/10)