Bengaluru: Migrant workers returning from Gujarat to Karnataka after two months of lockdown were denied entry into the state and made to wait at the Karnataka–Maharashtra border for 72 hours without food and water.
They were finally allowed to enter at 2 am on Friday after top leaders, including leader of the opposition Siddaramaiah intervened. The mistreatment of the migrant workers at the hands of police and bureaucrats has led to a furore in the state.
About 30 people from Bagalkote district had returned to the state after being stuck in Ahmedabad for about two months. They were quarantined there for 20 days. After the easing of lockdown norms on May 4, Ahmedabad city administration allowed them to return home by road.
When they reached Karnataka border at Nippani, the police forcibly stopped them, telling them not to enter.
Even after showing all documents issued by the Gujarat government, they were denied entry without giving any reasons. When they applied for entry into Karnataka via an app, their applications were put on hold, again giving no reasons.
“We were treated like criminals, unwanted foreigners or refugees by our own police,” said Yousuf Mudhol, one of the stranded persons, told News18 over the phone.
“They told us to go back to Maharashtra or Gujarat. Maharashtra Police told us that since we were Kannadigas, we should enter Karnataka. We were kicked around like a football for three days,” he said.
Mudhol said the group was denied even basic requirements like food and water. “Even a hostile foreign country won’t treat refugees like this. After leaders like Siddaramaiah intervened on our behalf, the police and bureaucrats relented and finally let us enter at 2 o’ clock in the night. We are now quarantined again. We have no issues with it,” he added.
According to him hundreds of others like him were treated in the same manner and some are still struggling to enter the state.
More such incidents have come to light in the last two days, though Karnataka government is officially maintaining that all stranded Kannadigas are welcome back home.
Karnataka – Goa border is also witnessing similar scenes. Thousands of villagers from Karnataka, who work in Goa were allowed to return home after Monday. But, they were stopped at Pollem on the border and even told to go back.
After Karnataka Congress leader Nivedith Alva put pressure on the government, Labour minister A Shivaram Hebbar ordered the police to let them in.
“People are still facing the problem. It is inhuman. How can we stop our own people from returning home?” asks Nivedith Alva.
According to a top bureaucrat who did not want to be identified, the chief secretary to Karnataka government instructed the northern border districts administration not to allow the people returning from Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra to enter Karnataka, fearing it might lead to a spike in Covid-19 cases in the state as these three states have high number of infections.
“We understand his concern. Karnataka has managed the Covid-19 crisis well. The government does not want the numbers to go up. But, we can’t stop our own people like this. People can be sent to quarantine centres. They can’t be stopped” said the IAS officer.
The chief minister BS Yediyurappa has assured that such incidents won’t be repeated and he will issue clear instructions to officials.
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