Stranded migrant workers in Surat set carts on fire, demand food, salary and transport

Agitated by reports that the lockdown may get extended, hundreds of migrant labourers panicked in Surat and went out on the street, demanding pending salary, food and transport to take them home.

Most of the workers are said to have been working in the textile sector. Similar reports of unrest were coming in from other parts of Gujarat too.

“Workers here have blocked the roads and even pelted stones. Police were able to reach the spot and have detained around 60-70 people,” DCP Surat, Rakesh Barot was quoted as saying. He confirmed that workers were demanding that they be allowed to go back home.

Distressing videos were shared on social media by journalists.

With news & rumours of #LockdownExtended , unrest has begun in #Gujarat . Migrant labourers who are still put in Gujarat want to go home, unrest coupled with communal tensions i have resulted in steady cases of violence in #Ahmedabad #Surat #vadodara . Sudden panic

It's very saddening to see what all has happened in Surat and the Poor Migrant Labourers had to resort to Violence to get back their livelihoods! It's the duty of CM @vijayrupanibjp Ji to ensure poor people of Justice and a Stable Future, in which the govt. has miserably failed!

Social unrest in Gujarat is unfortunate &http://avoidable.It shows government’s total lack of planning ahead of a lockdown. About time they realise that empty symbolisms won’t do.India needs,URGENTLY,to support the poor rendered jobless by the lockdown.

An earlier post showed migrant workers accommodated by ISCKON in Ahmedabad.

Some of the migrants who were stuck in the city are being provided a shelter at Iscon Mall in #Ahmedabad since the beginning of April