News report by Esha Pujari: 

Mumbai: Arvind Ganpat Sawant, MP from south Mumbai ,Shiv Sena Party and former Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise, says Migrant workers left on their own will

Mumbai: Migrant workers problem has emerged as a burning issue. They are daily wage workers who live in shanty colonies and slums in tiny houses with hardly adequate space even to stretch oneself.

The Covid-19 induced lockdown has impacted them to a large extent. Since living in such a vast city like Mumbai without job and income is terrible. Hence most of them preferred to return to their homeland instead of dying of hunger here.

When quizzed on his views on who is responsible for the crisis of migrant workers, he said mostly migrants are hired as daily wage workers. Amid lockdown they could not get any income. He says even while providing them with essentials, frustration was seen on their face. But obvious, with Mumbai being impenetrably populated and houses with small houses in comparision to their house in their village which has enough space. It was their own decision to move out of Mumbai rather dying of hunger and jobless.
No party however is responsible for their movement or crisis.

When broached on his views on Central Government Co-operation,
he said he desist from using the word non-cooperation, but feels that the cooperation is not sufficient enough. The central government is asking to avail loan facilities, for everything, but in the near future, State will be burdened by loans. Their prime need was “liquidity”which is not there.Once it comes it will be small scale industries which will facilitate getting jobs. But then If you ask them for loan they regret their inability to pay. payment is secondary, they are not even able to give interest on it and also say it’s not the right time to play politics.

About the party’s activities, he says Shiv-Sena workers are always helpful. They provide ration and food and render help as much as they can.

He went on to add that Aditya Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray are taking personally interest in such works. They set up hospitals within 15 days in Bandra with 1000 beds and ICU and says we all are fighting with an invisible and disastrous enemy. It is not about Mumbai or Maharashtra, but the entire world is suffering from this pandemic. They ask the government to start local trains for doctors, nurses, police and bank employees as they have started for the government staff. His message to the people is to follow the rules as government is trying its best possible means, even being aware, it is difficult, but
unless and until, we follow we cannot recover from it.

News Edit by K.V Raman