Magic Show Cheers Migrant Workers, But Survival Woes Remain

“How will this temporary facility in the shelter home help us?,” said a migrant worker

The Quint met 250 migrant workers housed at a makeshift shelter in Delhi. A magic show was organised by Delhi Police to entertain them. 

(Image: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

Video Editor: Vivek Gupta

“How will this temporary facility in the shelter home help us? We are getting food, my children are getting milk. But once we are allowed to go from here, how are we going to survive?”

Rajkumari, wife of daily wage worker

Would a magic show make problems disappear 'magically'? The answer is no. But a magic show helped a few migrant workers escape their harsh reality briefly. The show was organised by the Delhi Police at a makeshift shelter home hosting 250 migrant workers in a Delhi government school.

The Quint spoke to some of the workers hailing from different states. Almost all talked about the urgent need to go back to their villages during the harvest season. They feared their crops would rot standing in the fields, depriving them of precious income. They were also worried about the health and well-being of their families in the village, mostly their elders.

Some of the workers had no choice but to return to their villages as they had been asked to leave by their employers. Many of them had been detained at Delhi's borders with Haryana and UP.

As each shared their story, it was clear that the one thing they all wanted was to go back home. They were also frustrated because they were not getting much clarity from the authorities about when the lockdown would end, and when they would be allowed to leave this temporary shelter in Delhi.

Watch the video to know more.