Disheartening visuals of two injured men resting their heads on the sides of an open truck along with dead bodies wrapped in black tarpaulin sheets lay next to them in UP, sparked outrage.
UP sends dead bodies with migrants in open trucks, Jharkhand furious https://t.co/L3mT63wHnW pic.twitter.com/bso7HCZShF
— NDTV (@ndtv) May 19, 2020
These dead bodies were of those who died in the Auriya crash on Saturday. In the crash, 26 migrant workers died and more than 30 were injured after two trucks collided on the highway.
Following this incident, Jharkhand’s Chief Minister Hemant Soren called this act inhumane and asked the UP and Bihar govt. to provide suitable transportation.
This inhumane treatment of our migrant workers could possibly be avoided. I request .@UPGovt & Office of .@NitishKumar ‘ji to arrange suitable transportation of the deceased bodies till Jharkhand border & we will ensure adequate dignified arrangements to their homes in Bokaro. https://t.co/uJL922LElP
— Hemant Soren (घर में रहें – सुरक्षित रहें) (@HemantSorenJMM) May 17, 2020
Reports mentioned that eleven of the deceased were from Jharkhand , one was from Palamu and rest from Bokaro. The rest of them were from Bengal.
Twitter was outraged after noticing such lack of empathy.
Very shameful, disgraceful, and inhuman act of UP Government officials who were responsible to send the bodies of the deceased gracefully instead. Also, wish these officials had sent car for the two injured migrants instead of putting them along with the dead bodies in same truck
— Manmeet (@Manmeet79410931) May 19, 2020
Nothing can be more inhuman than this
— Punam Jain (@punamj739) May 19, 2020
Insane sadist regime…
— Boilerman (@DxbMau) May 19, 2020
After the Jharkhand government registered a protest and criticism by people, the UP government on Monday took action and made arrangements to send back migrant workers and the bodies of migrants who died separately. The victims were moved into ambulances.
After @HemantSorenJMM Jharkhand govt registered a protest, dead bodies of #AuraiyaAccident victims were moved into ambulances last night. @pranshumisraa reports.
— Zeba Warsi (@Zebaism) May 18, 2020
Bodies were earlier being sent in trucks along with survivors. Unimaginable. pic.twitter.com/XH5ogIwbOM
According to NDTV, Senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari pointed out that the bodies had started decomposing during the journey. He also stated that according to medical jurisprudence, forcing the living to travel in such circumstances was a “criminal act”.
It is sad to see how the poor section of the society i.e. the migrant workers are neglected by the government.