Even after two months of the lockdown, the hardships of the homebound migrant labourers don’t seem to be ending. In Goa, migrant labourers who were stuck in different parts of the state, have been arriving at the Karmali railway station to catch a train back home, but they are being held up at the Bambolim football stadium, about 15 kms from the railway station.

About 5,000 migrant labourers from Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar were working in Goa and were stranded here due to the lockdown. They started arriving at the Karmali railway station after they received messages on their mobiles regarding the running of special trains for migrant labourers. But even after seven to ten days, they are still waiting for the trains that would take them home.

“We have been brought from the station to the stadium. Some labourers are here from May 23 or 25. Some are stuck here from 10 days. So far, we have not been able to get on any train. When we ask the policemen about the status of the trains, they threaten us with their batons. Nobody tells us anything,” said Surendra Mahato, a labourer from Jharkhand, who is stranded at the Bambolim football stadium.

Mahato, who is from Jamtara village in Giridih district of Jharkhand, was working in a hotel and was trapped here since the lockdown. He had registered for a train to return from Goa to his home in Jharkhand.

Surendra said: “I received a message on May 29 on the mobile that I had to reach Karmali station at 5 PM as the train was leaving at 9.30 PM. We reached the station at 4 PM. Now, we have been brought here to the stadium where 5,000-6,000 labourers are trapped without adequate food or bathroom facilities for so many people.”

Parmali Minj, another labourer from Jharkhand, is also stuck at the stadium. She said: “We have been stranded here for the past four days. There are other women from Jharkhand who are stuck too. We are not getting adequate food or water. How would one be able to manage and look after so many labourers in the stadium? We do not even have money that we may buy something for us to eat.”

Poush Malto, who is from Chotakaldam village in Pakur district of Jharkhand, said: “I have been here for seven days. I had arrived at the Karmali station from Madgaon on May 25, but the policemen brought me here to the stadium. When I enquire about the train, they say that it would take a day or two. It’s been a week. We are still here.”

A large number of labourers from Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar have been trapped at the stadium. These labourers who are trapped in thousands are also facing an increasing paucity of bathrooms facilities, and food and water.

Mangal Saran, a labourer from Chitmu Gram Panchayat of Koriya district in West Bengal, said: “We had reached the station on May 29 from where we had been brought to the stadium. There are about 800 to 900 labourers trapped here from West Bengal; about 15 to 20 people from my own village. The officers are not telling us anything. I don’t know when we would be able to leave.”

There are a large number of labourers in the stadium who had travelled 100 to 150 kms and arrived at the Karmali station in order to catch a train home. Now, they cannot go back and their difficulties have been further aggravated by the administration which is not arranging the train any sooner.