Fearful of starvation amidst the coronation-forced lockout, Shyam Babu ended his dream of a 'big city school' for his child as the family packed their bags to return to their remote Chevara village in Bihar. For the last two months, he has been struggling to make ends meet.
As Babu reminds of the past eight years, as he moved to Gurgaon in search of work, and eventually got his son admitted to a school here, his 8-year-old son Neeraj is reluctant to leave his father and pleads That it will remain. Must go back to school when he reopens.
He fears that there may not be any coming back to Gurgaon and he will have to study in a village school from now.
"I have been in Gurgaon for eight years now. I have worked as a labourer at different construction sites. I always wanted my son to study in a big-city school since those in villages are not that good.
"Neeraj got admission in a government school here. Their fees and food were taken care of and we were happy that they would get a good education and would not have to work as laborers when they grew up," Shyam Babu told PTI.
With no work and wages pending, Babu's family had to vacate their rented room and were waiting for a chance to catch a train back home.
"Neeraj wanted to stay back so that he can resume school when it reopens. But how can we leave him here alone?" he said.
Unhappy about visiting his village suddenly with all their belongings, Neeraj said, "I like the school here. I wish I am able to come back and the situation turns normal soon. If they will let my father build houses, I will get to come here too."
Tirath Kumar, a rickshaw puller, says that in his village in Bihar's Sheikhpura district big-city school is a sought after thing.
"A rickshaw puller can work anywhere, but we chose to do it in a big city so that our kids get to study there. It is a very sought after thing there if your kids study in 'bade sheher ka school'. We have the same government schools there also but teaching is good in city schools.
"I like it when my daughter talks in English fluently. She is smarter in maths too than her village friends," Kumar said. He was determined to return to Gurgaon after a few months.
"I will come back and see if we can again move here and will be able to survive. If yes, I will get my family here. Else my daughter will have to study in a village school only. Her education here is not expensive to manage as the anganwadi centres help too, but what will we eat, where will we stay?" he posed.
Amidst hundreds of migrant laborers who had suffered reverse migration after being out of work due to the COVID-19 lockdown, both Tirath Kumar and Shyam Babu's families both left for their village earlier this week on a labor special train.
Diwan Raj, who worked with a catering firm here, said, "My son's school here is very good. They also sent sanitiser and masks for the whole family and the teacher explained to us on phone about the virus and precautions everyone needs to take. You don't get all this in village schools. Children then struggle when they grow up."
"I wish I could do something to keep things as they were. I also waited for two months hoping that situation will turn normal but we have exhausted our savings too now. Though the lockdown has been eased to some extent still there is no work, so we will now have to go back. There is no other option. We can live anywhere, we don't mind but my son's education will not be the same, I am more worried about this," he added.
Lockdown in India
The country has been in lockdown since March 25 to stop the spread of the virus. Now this section has been extended till 31 May. It has spun economic activity out of gear, introducing many homeless and poor, who are beginning to migrate migrants to their home states.
While trains and buses are being arranged for them, lakhs of them continue to wait for their chance as they struggle to make ends meet.
As Babu reminds of the past eight years, as he moved to Gurgaon in search of work, and eventually got his son admitted to a school here, his 8-year-old son Neeraj is reluctant to leave his father and pleads That it will remain. Must go back to school when he reopens.
He fears that there may not be any coming back to Gurgaon and he will have to study in a village school from now.
"I have been in Gurgaon for eight years now. I have worked as a labourer at different construction sites. I always wanted my son to study in a big-city school since those in villages are not that good.
"Neeraj got admission in a government school here. Their fees and food were taken care of and we were happy that they would get a good education and would not have to work as laborers when they grew up," Shyam Babu told PTI.
With no work and wages pending, Babu's family had to vacate their rented room and were waiting for a chance to catch a train back home.
"Neeraj wanted to stay back so that he can resume school when it reopens. But how can we leave him here alone?" he said.
Unhappy about visiting his village suddenly with all their belongings, Neeraj said, "I like the school here. I wish I am able to come back and the situation turns normal soon. If they will let my father build houses, I will get to come here too."
Tirath Kumar, a rickshaw puller, says that in his village in Bihar's Sheikhpura district big-city school is a sought after thing.
"A rickshaw puller can work anywhere, but we chose to do it in a big city so that our kids get to study there. It is a very sought after thing there if your kids study in 'bade sheher ka school'. We have the same government schools there also but teaching is good in city schools.
"I like it when my daughter talks in English fluently. She is smarter in maths too than her village friends," Kumar said. He was determined to return to Gurgaon after a few months.
"I will come back and see if we can again move here and will be able to survive. If yes, I will get my family here. Else my daughter will have to study in a village school only. Her education here is not expensive to manage as the anganwadi centres help too, but what will we eat, where will we stay?" he posed.
Amidst hundreds of migrant laborers who had suffered reverse migration after being out of work due to the COVID-19 lockdown, both Tirath Kumar and Shyam Babu's families both left for their village earlier this week on a labor special train.
Diwan Raj, who worked with a catering firm here, said, "My son's school here is very good. They also sent sanitiser and masks for the whole family and the teacher explained to us on phone about the virus and precautions everyone needs to take. You don't get all this in village schools. Children then struggle when they grow up."
According to the Haryana Chief Minister's Office, more than 2.60 lakh migrants have been sent home from the state so far.
"I wish I could do something to keep things as they were. I also waited for two months hoping that situation will turn normal but we have exhausted our savings too now. Though the lockdown has been eased to some extent still there is no work, so we will now have to go back. There is no other option. We can live anywhere, we don't mind but my son's education will not be the same, I am more worried about this," he added.
Lockdown in India
The country has been in lockdown since March 25 to stop the spread of the virus. Now this section has been extended till 31 May. It has spun economic activity out of gear, introducing many homeless and poor, who are beginning to migrate migrants to their home states.
While trains and buses are being arranged for them, lakhs of them continue to wait for their chance as they struggle to make ends meet.
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