Hundreds of migrant labourers have gathered at Paippad in Changanassery, Kottayam district, in protest, violating the lockdown imposed in the country to contain the spread of COVID-19. They have stepped out of the camps they are put up in and are on the street demanding that they be allowed to go home, and be provided with vehicles for it. While many maintained that food and water had been provided to them, a few alleged they had been managing with their own money and were unable to carry on anymore.

"We are getting food, but we want to go home. We are mainly from West Bengal, we want to go to Malda," one man told the media.

"Our money is running out, how will we buy water and food? Our families back in Bengal are also crying for us", another said.

Many of them said they had watched on TV that buses had been arranged for laborers in Delhi. "We want to go home, why can't the Kerala government arrange transport for us?", one protester asked.

The district administration has, however, maintained that they have been providing food and water to all labourers, but since lockdown was in place, there was no way people could be sent all the way back to Bengal.

Kottayam District Collector PK Sudheer Babu who reached the spot said that around 8500 migrant labourers live in the Panchayat and around 5000 have already gone home. They did not complain about the lack of food at the panchayat meeting and I had even visited the camp too. They did not want cooked food from community kitchens, but wanted raw materials so they could cook own food. We have provided them with provisions, so they can make food of their choice. Their main demand is that they want to go to their natives. They somehow feel now that they can go home. We cannot send them home right now. It is our responsibility to take care of them, if employers or accomodate owners are throwing them out, we will take action. But going back is impossible now," he told the media.

Read: With transport shut for COVID-19 lockdown, Indian migrant workers begin walking home

“We are ready to accommodate them but they have declined this. Strict action will be taken against any house owners or contractors asking them to leave their accommodation,” he added.

"What we can give is food and accomodation, the rest we need time to think," Collector Sudheer Babu later told TNM.

Superintendent of Police Kottayam G Jayadev, who reached the spot, tried to talk to them and make them understand that going back home was not an option now. When the workers complained that they had not been given food or accommodation, the police assured them that this would be taken care of immediately. The workers also wanted north Indian food which too the SP has promised could be arranged.

Meanwhile, talking to TNM, officials of Paippad panchayat claimed that they had done the needful. "The panchayat had held a meeting with those who give work for the migrant labourers a week earlier. We had asked them to arrange food and water for the workers and also said that they can approach the panchayat for any help. Even on Saturday, we held an emergency meeting urging the employers to meet the needs of workers. They had raised the issue of shortage of water. Paippad town usually has water crisis issues, we had ensured that by today morning, water will be arranged for them. But all of a sudden on Sunday morning, the workers got together and are demanding that they want to go to their homes," said Aney M Joseph, ward member of Paippad town ward of the panchayat.

Many of these people live in small accommodations, 15 to 20 people living together.

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