Coronavirus lockdown: Vija Ram and Banwari are walking from Bengaluru to Jodhpur in Rajashtan.
Daily wage labourers across the country are perhaps the worst-hit by the 21-day nationwide lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus. With train and bus services stopped and their homes being far away, many are now walking across states to reach their homes. Some of them are walking day and night.
NDTV caught up with one such carpenter who works in Bengaluru and was walking home to Jodhpur, across four states - Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan. Vija Ram and Banwari started their journey by foot soon after the lockdown was announced on March 24.
After walking on the Bengaluru-Mumbai Highway for four days, he reached Mumbai on Monday morning and took the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway towards Rajasthan. He plans to continue his walk to reach his home in Jodhpur.
With state borders and district borders being sealed, the centre has appealed to thousands of people like Vija Ram and Banwari to stop where they are. But Vija Ram says, "There was no way I could have continued living in Bengaluru. There was no money to buy food and family members back home were worried."
Vija Ram and Banwari were, therefore, forced to start walking and Banwari is doing so in slippers. His feet have started swelling but he says he is going to continue to walk. They try and hitch-hike when they can but that is hardly any solace as break from walking is never for more than 50 km.
"I have to walk home. I rest and eat whatever I get in between. I have to reach home and they are worried. Some charitable organisations and social workers have given us food. We expect some help. We also want to follow what the government says but we have our problems too," Vija Ram says.
Banwari told NDTV, "My feet are aching. But I will walk till I reach home. I have to reach home as even those who are back home are worried. If the government helps it will be good."
Vija Ram has managed to keep his phone running. He keeps updating his relatives at home, telling them where he has reached. His walk home is no different from the thousands of labourers and workers who are fleeing India's cities to reach their villages where they believe they will be safe and secure.