He has no money, no food, and it's almost a 40° C in India's capital of Delhi. So Bittu, a young migrant worker, decided it was best to go to his sister’s house on April 15. As he walked, the police caught him mid-way and beat him up for violating lockdown rules. Indian reporter Anup Pandey, found the young worker crying on the road that day, and journalist @AshishXL shared a video where he explained his ordeal after he lost his job during the nationwide coronavirus lockdown.
The video got noticed by Indian Twitter users and some rose to help.
Journalist @AshishXL replied in an update: "Some people have asked for his bank account details. @AnoopNbt gave him lift up to his home. He has mobile number of landlord, he will try to get his account number if he has."
The video soon reached the authorities and they helped Bittu reach his sister finally. A political leader in Delhi posted an update that said Bittu was safe with his family and relief aid was given to him.
But, as India extends its lockdown till May 3, Bittu is only one among an estimated 100 million internal migrants in India. They travelled long distances from remote villages seeking work in India's bustling urban cities. Many work for daily wages and the lockdown has left them with no money to buy food or basic necessities.
Tweep @ikaveri posted: "There must be thousands like him. I can't even begin to comprehend the magnitude of the problem they are facing."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the lockdown with less than four hours’ notice as cases of coronavirus started growing in India. “Forget what it is like stepping out of the house.... Stay at home and only stay at home,” he said. He mentioned nothing specific about the daily-wage earners whose income, in an instant, disappeared.
The situation is leading to unrest and sparking migrant worker protests in different parts of the country.
Advocates for the poor say that while they support the lockdown to save lives, the way it has been rolled out — with apparently little guidance for the poorest of India's poor — may mean the lockdown itself endangers more lives than the coronavirus.
Advocates for the poor say that while they support the lockdown to save lives, the way it has been rolled out — with apparently little guidance for the poorest of India's poor — may mean the lockdown itself endangers more lives than the coronavirus.
Last month, India's finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, announced more than $22 billion (over Dh 80 billion) coronavirus relief money. The government's top priority, Sitharaman reportedly told reporters, is "to reach food to the poorest of the poor, to reach money in the hands of those who need it immediately".
But, many economists say that's not enough. And, social analysts say, India needs to address the situation urgently.