NHRC notice to chief secy over migrant’s death due to hunger

LUCKNOW: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday issued a notice to the UP chief secretary after taking suo motu cognizance of a media report that a 19-year-old migrant worker, Vipin Kumar, died in Saharanpur due to hunger after walking six days from Ludhiana and covering 350 kilometres on his way home to Hardoi district in UP, the commission’s spokesperson said in a press statement.

The NHRC spokesperson said a report was sought from the UP government within four weeks.

The state government was directed to provide details of the present status of migrant labourers from UP stuck in different states but willing to return home, as well as measures taken by the state government to ensure their smooth journey, he said. The commission described the migrant worker’s death as a serious issue of human rights violation. It was not the first time that the commission had come across such an incident relating to the painful condition of migrants , the spokesperson said.

It further observed that the media had reported the UP government had issued an order to provide shaded shelter, food and drinking water to migrant labourers at toll plazas on national highways. However, it seemed that announcements by government were not being implemented on the ground due to which the migrant labourers were still suffering, the spokesperson said.

According to the media report, Vipin Kumar used to work at a shop in Ludhiana. He had started walking to his home in Sursa, Hardoi on May 12. He walked for six days without food. After covering over 350 kilometres, he fell on the road near Saharanpur, the report added. An ambulance driver spotted him and rushed him to a district hospital where he died. In their report, the doctors said Vipin died of hunger. According to the media report, Vipin had informed his family on May 12 that he was returning home. His father, as mentioned in the news report, stated that Vipin had no other option but to walk as government transport was not available . The report also mentioned that the family received a phone call from the hospital from Saharanpur about Vipin’s illness. The next day, the family received a phone call that he had died due to hunger. The villagers reportedly collected money for the family so that they could bring the body home, the spokesperson said.