Malappuram: Almost a hundred migrant workers took to the streets in Kerala's Malappuram district on Thursday violating the nationwide lockdown protocol. The protest march demanding immediate arrangements to return to their home states came a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued guidelines to allow inter-state movement of stranded migrant workers, tourists, pilgrims, students and others.
Holding placards and raising slogans, the workers took out the march at around 9:30 am at nearby Chattiparambil bazaar.
"Less than hundred workers from other states took out a protest march seeking assistance to go back to their native states. We used force to disperse them and held discussions and noted down their demands," the Malappuram DySP Jaleel Thottathil said.
He said the workers were demanding transport facilities to move back to their native land as there was no work here.
Malappuram district, which falls under the red zone in Kerala, has over 1,500 people under observation and one positive case, as per the medical bulletin issued on Wednesday.
"They said their families were suffering back at their homes as the workers here were unable to send money due to lack of work during lockdown period. They said they had food and other facilities here but were unhappy as they were unable to return to their families," the official said.
Another official said some of the protestors have been taken into custody.
"We are investigating whether there has been any conspiracy or instigation behind the move," a senior police official said.
Last month on March 29, several migrant workers had assembled in Paippad town in Kottayam district urging the State Government to arrange vehicles for them to travel to their home destinations in north India.
However, due to the nation-wide lockdown, the government had turned down their plea, but instead arranged free meals for them at various places where they have been lodged.
Presently in Kerala, 3.61 lakh guest workers are lodged in 20,826 camps.
Attracted by the high wages for labourers in Kerala, lakhs of people from the north-eastern states of West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Manipur have been working and living in Kerala since the past many years.
(With PTI inputs.)
