JUST close to the famous twin arches of Anna Nagar in west Chennai, a group of people from the Northeast are waiting on the footpath at a sparsely shaded spot. Surrounded by suitcases and bags, they are looking up the main road for the bus that would pick them up and take them to the Central Railway Station. There they would board the first Shramik Special meant for the Northeast that would terminate at Manipur’s Jiribam railway station.
Waiting for the bus, Namdi says he and his elder sister, 30-year-old Ling, have been working in Chennai for the past five years. While he was employed as a salesperson on the counter for a high-end textile showroom at Phoneix Mall in Velachery, his sister worked as a beautician in a parlour nearby. “Chennai has been kind to us until this lockdown happened. We managed on our savings for a while before deciding to return home and stay there until things became normal,” he adds.
Esta historia es de la edición June 08, 2020 de Outlook.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición June 08, 2020 de Outlook.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
The Muslim Question
In the time of polarisation politics and othering, how to respond to the banality of hate?
Voters' Cold Wave
Heat wave, voter apathy and cyclic migration are blamed for the poor voter turnout in Bihar. Political parties are clueless about what impact will it have on election results
Occupy Ivy League
Students protesting in American universities are asking the US government to rethink its policy towards Israel
Left Side Story
Personal attacks, lower voter turnout and the BJP’s determined campaigning: how has Kerala voted this time?
Across the Pir Panjals
The newly carved-out constituency of Anantnag-Rajouri is set to witness a very close contest
Gashes in the Red Sand
Residents of the tribal district of Gadchiroli resist development models that destroy the environment
When Taps and Hope Run Dry
Peaking water scarcity and pervasive groundwater contamination have increased migration from many districts of Rajasthan.
Pilgrim's Politics
Two-time MP from Varanasi, Narendra Modi, is sculpting the eternal city in his image
Under The Model Town
Muslim ghettos in Ahmedabad are dilapidated and neglected
The Master Strategist
The Assam chief minister enjoys popularity both as an administrator and a politician despite his relentless anti-Muslim rhetoric