The Migrant Tale From Surat

The Migrant Tale From Surat

The steep rise in coronavirus cases in Odisha has brought the focus on migrant workers, especially those who have returned from Surat. As most of the patients infected by the virus are Surat returnees, many have started questioning the Government move to bring back the workers to the state. And there are people too who are in support of the migrants’ homecoming. Amid this raging debate, the plight of lakhs of migrant Odias stuck in Surat due to the lockdown has come to the spotlight.

Known for its silk weaving, Surat is a commercial centre for textiles situated along Tapi River in Gujarat. Surat is a household name in rural Odisha, particularly in Ganjam. Of the city’s 44.6 lakh population, 8.0-8.5 lakhs are Odias and 80 per cent of them are from Ganjam.

Lack of education, jobs and farmland are the main reasons Odias migrate to Surat where the flourishing textile industry is heavily dependent on wage labourers. Besides, there are many Odias who are working in other sectors while some are also into business.

Vishal Kejriwal, a businessman in Surat who hails from Cuttack, said, “Surat is a major contributor of manmade fabric. It produces around 80 per cent of the country’s manmade fabric every year. Since work in the textile industry is easily available, Odias come here in search of a better future. Later, they also bring their relatives to work here as there is a huge demand for wage labourers.” 

Vishal, who owns ‘Dying and Printing Fabrics’, shifted to Surat in 2000 and is now settled there with his wife and children. But his parents are still living in Cuttack.

“The Odia population here is so huge that there is a railway junction at Udhna, a suburban area of Surat, from where platform announcements are also made in Odia language along with Hindi, English and Gujarati. Besides, trains to Odisha are always available from the junction,” he said.

Vishal further informed that while people from Balasore, Jagatsingpur and Kendrapara districts are mostly engaged in the hotel industry, those from Cuttack and Balasore work in the fishery sector. Similarly, workers from Cuttack, Khurda and Ganjam are employed as plumbers and gardeners. Though the weaving industry is dominated by workers of Ganjam, there are some people from Cuttack who are good designers in the textile sector. “Due to the massive employment opportunities, people from other states like Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar also flock to Surat. But the migrant population comprises mostly workers from Odisha,” he said.

The businessman blamed the unannounced enforcement of lockdown for exodus of migrants from Surat. The lockdown was declared all of a sudden which led to panic among workers who depend on daily wages for survival, said Vishal who is distributing 30,000-35,000 food packets daily among the needy with the help of an NGO.

“Commissioner of Surat Municipal Corporation Banchhanidhi Pani, who is from Odisha, has started a mechanised kitchen here which is serving food to 1 lakh people every day. He is working round the clock to ensure the well-being of migrant workers during the lockdown,” Vishal added.

Another Odia who has made Surat his home is Ratikant Rout, who hails from Balasore. Ratikant, who is the secretary of ‘Yashashwi Welfare Trust’, said there are more than 500 Odia community groups in Surat. Earlier, workers from Odisha used to go to Kolkata to work in small-scale textile industries. But this trend stopped due to security reasons and Odias started coming to Surat in search of work. People from Ganjam were the first ones to arrive here for work with most of them employed as gardeners. Since then, Odias residing here are called by the name ‘Malia’, he said.

Ratikant informed that he came to Surat in 1995 and worked in a chartered firm. Last year, the Odia community in Surat organised Odisha Mahotsav in a grand way. Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik had also attended the event.

“I have written letters about improving the economy of Odisha to some of our MLAs, MPs and Ministers of Odisha including the Chief Minister. In Surat, the 98 per cent of the workforce engaged in the textile industry is from Odisha. So, if Odisha provides us the same opportunities, why should we go to other states for work?” Ratikant questioned.

He further said Ganjam MLA Pradip Panigrahi called him after getting the letter and has asked him to make a complete budget which can be discussed in the Odisha Legislative Assembly in the future. “I would prepare such a budget after the lockdown is lifted,” added Ratikanta.