“I wait for 7-8 hours everyday, but mostly have to return home empty-handed,” Kumar added.
Unfortunately, Kumar is not the only one crushed under unemployment and debt. The crowd swells with every passing hour at this labour hub and so do the stories of despair.
Santosh is among the 10.4 million migrant workers who, according to the Modi government’s own data, left the city after the lockdown. He returned from his village in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur after six months.
The government, in a reply to Parliament, said they have maintained “no data” on the loss of livelihoods of migrant workers. But, in April, CMIE (Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy)…