The sun has now ascended into the sky, and hope is fading fast. By 5 am everyday about 150 daily wage workers assemble at Boring Canal Road in Patna and waiting to be picked up for work.
Kashinath says that this group also alleges “gadbad” in government schemes. Says Kashinath, “This always happens to the poor. Some have ration cards and others don’t have the ration card . The many of the intra-state migrants at the chowk have come from Masaurhi, Lakhisarai, and even Darbhanga are over 100 km away. .”
Kashinath said that The workers here also are unsure if they’re going to choose the election and the Travel back home costs Rs 600. once you are earning only five days during a month, and there is no money. Our room rent in Patna is Rs 3,000 per month; Rs 4,000 if it’s a kitchen and none of the folks can afford to travel back,”
Three km away under the Sipara Railway Bridge is the another spot where daily wagers assemble to seek out work, Rahul Kumar said that earlier he worked at an export textile company in Mumbai for a monthly salary of Rs 20,000. He was among thousands of migrant workers who walked home (Jehanabad) in March-April and hitching rides and It took him 13 days.
Kumar said thar two months ago he moved to Patna in search of labor and“ he didn’t lifted even 10 kg in my life, and now I do that (construction work),” and within the last 19 days, he has had only two days of labour with an earning Rs 400 each day . He eats once each day at a temple and sleeps at the Patna railroad station . “In 2015, I voted for the BJP. This year, I will able to not attend vote in the least .”
His eyes swell as he talks about the struggles of the past months.