Bannerghatta

shelter

Bengaluru

Fullinfaws College

West Bengal

Karnataka

Desmond Fullinfaw

Residents ofRoad convert a college into ahome for 17 migrant workersshows the way, yet again. Residents staying off Bannerghatta Road have convertedinto a shelter home, where around 17 migrants, who have lost their jobs and are unable to travel to their hometowns, have been provided accommodation.These migrant workers hail from Bihar, Jharkand,(Yadgir district), Tamil Nadu and Tripura. Aklakh Ahmed from Yadgir district alleged that he was duped into employment by a private company. As the lockdown was imposed, Ahmed was thrown out of the job, after which he was desperately trying to head back to Yadgir. But with interstate borders being closed in Karnataka, Ahmed finally found a shelter in Bengaluru.Professor, Chairman of Fullinfaws College, said that on his way back home on April 4, he found a migrant worker stranded in Akshaya Nagar, off Bannerghatta road, who was unable to eat a piece of bread given to him by a passer by, due to lack of saliva or water to digest it. “Later, I learnt that he did not have a place to stay nor did he have money. This incident brought together a group of like-minded people to create a shelter. We were wondering where to set it up and this was when we thought of housing them in Fullinfaws College as the classrooms were shut for vacation, “said Navneet G Fullinfaw, principal of the college.Amit Kumar, who is the president of the Swarna Begur Welfare Association of Residents, said though the migrant labourers were kept in the classrooms, they had to ensure social distancing. Hence, they thought they could accommodate at least four inmates in each room with beds. A team of doctors is also checking up on the migrants to see if they are healthy.Syed Khadir, another resident of the locality, said they are currently coordinating for 200 packets of food, which is being prepared by the Ashok Nagar Jain Sangh.Arjun Kapse, another resident of the locality, said they are working on a plan to continue the shelter home in case the lockdown continues beyond May 3. Meanwhile, the residents are also coordinating with the authorities to see if there is any chance of the lockdown being lifted, so that these migrant workers can be reunited with their families.