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FAR FROM HOME, FOR HOME

Far From Home For Home

Struggles of a migrant labourer far from hometown to raise a family

The life of a migrant labourer is often a tale of struggle and hardship. I met Manish Kumar Shah, a 32-year-old construction labourer on the Pondicherry University campus. He belongs to a small village, Salauna, in the district of Begusrai, Bihar, is no exception. He has been working for SLV Construction for the last 2 years as a daily wage labourer before here, like many others, moves from place to place in search of work that can provide for his family. Furthermore, he gets 500 rupees a day, which may seem like a small sum to many, but it is the only means to fulfil his family’s basic needs.

Manish’s day begins before the sun rises. He wakes up in his makeshift shelter, which is a shelter for cement bags; they use it like their mansion. He prepares breakfast before sunrise and gets ready for the work. The work is challenging and physically demanding, but Manish has no choice but to persevere. He has a family to support, and his daily wage is essential to their survival.

Also Read: Empowering Indian Women: Breaking Boundaries in the Workforce

Manish’s family, like many other migrant labourers, lives in a small village, Salauna, in the Begusrai district of Bihar. They have no land, and their home is a tiny mud hut with no amenities. His wife and children survive on whatever little food he can afford to send back home. The children attend a government school, but education is not a priority when the family’s needs are unmet.

The cost of living in the cities is much higher than in the villages, and Manish has to spend a significant portion of his daily wage on food. He has no job security and constantly fears being laid off. Injuries on the job are common, and there is no insurance or compensation for lost wages. He has to pay for his medical expenses if he gets injured.

Despite these challenges, Manish continues to work hard every day. He takes pride in his work and does it to the best of his ability. He knows his work contributes to the city’s development, giving him a sense of purpose. Furthermore, he dreams of a better life for his family, but that seems like a distant possibility.

Manish prepares food at 5.30 AM with his co-workers; he and his co-workers always prepare food early in the morning/Image: Abhisrut Tripathi.
Manish working with co-worker in sunny day.
Manish & his co-workers are passing bricks for construction.
Labour risks their life without any hesitation. Another Worker doing wall putty with the help of a single rope without any safety gear with no fear/Image: Aritrya Sanyal.
Thumbs Down to the fear of life for the food/Image: Aritrya Sanyal.
Standing on the Railing of the top floor to pass the material to a co-worker.
Their “CHULHA” is made up of bricks. Manish and their co-worker prepare food on this/Image: P R Chouhan.
Their supplies and utensils. He used to call it “KHAZANA” (treasure).
Manish Mansion. As a construction worker, these people built hundreds of houses but they lived in such kind of shelter/Image: Abhishrut Tripathi.
After entire day tireless work Manish & Chotu having dinner together/Image: P R Chouhan.
Talking to his child on video call before bed. After the easy accessibility of internet, it’s being too easy to keep in touch with family for every class of people/Image: Abhishrut Tripathi.

The life of a migrant labourer is often overlooked and underappreciated. These hardworking individuals make significant contributions to society, yet they live in poverty and struggle to survive. Their daily wage may seem like a small amount, but it is what keeps their families fed and clothed. It is time we recognize their efforts and work towards improving their lives. The government and private sector should work together to provide these essential workers with better living conditions, job security, and fair wages. It is only then that we can genuinely progress as a society.

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