Recently, a video went viral on social media where migrant workers and their families were made to squat on roads and disinfectant was sprayed on them.
These migrant workers returned from Delhi to Bareilly, UP were treated like animals by UP government. They were not only made to squat but were asked to turn around so that their entire bodies can be disinfected.
Watch | Migrant workers and their families in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly made to squat on roads, sprayed with disinfectant. #CoronavirusLockdown #CoronavirusOutbreak pic.twitter.com/zasJ69VzEO
— NDTV (@ndtv) March 30, 2020
Netizens were outraged after seeing the video and slammed the authorities for taking such an uncompassionate step.
Spraying migrant labourers with disinfectants. What are they, animals ? Did you spray this disinfectant on the passengers you airlifted from various countries ? Is this your fucking morality https://t.co/dVJHdDniu6
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) March 30, 2020
Are these migrants & poor from lower castes, infectious to this country? Do they have no rights to live with dignity and equality? This is example of how caste and class divisions plays out in modern nation-state. Ashamed. This #lockdown is a privilege. https://t.co/5cmh96uHbx
— Kawalpreet Kaur (@kawalpreetdu) March 30, 2020
Would people who get off an international flight be forced to hold their ears, squat, frog-leap, or crawl as penalty? Would any cop dare to write ‘Stay away from me’ on their foreheads? Would they be sprayed with chemical disinfectant without polite explanation as to why?
— AnnieZaidi (@anniezaidi) March 30, 2020
What nonsense! Are they animals?!
— Shrinivas Karkala (@s_karkala) March 30, 2020
Chemical wash of humans. Plain torture. Never heard of such before or seen.
— manav (@manavjivan) March 30, 2020
India under Mochi, from bad to worse.
Human rights violated.
Absolutely disgusting and inhuman. If this action was forced upon you, @Uppolice you could have still done this in some enclosure and not on the streets.
— Ajay KAPPS (@ajkapps) March 30, 2020
How can a country do this to its own people. This is sheer humiliation . They deserve better than this.
— Ab (@Ab90907987) March 30, 2020
Chemical wash of humans. Plain torture. Never heard of such before or seen.
— manav (@manavjivan) March 30, 2020
India under Mochi, from bad to worse.
Human rights violated.
Why poor are suffering if corona came with high profile Indians in india pic.twitter.com/zPIaAG2xdb
— sandeep kumar (@sandeep80835881) March 30, 2020
This should cause international outrage.. what we have become? Is this way to treat fellow human being? What is their fault? Being poor? Many will defend saying it is best interest of our country. In our best interest please kill all and let Modi and Shah survive.
— Mallangouda Aski (@Mallangoudaaski) March 30, 2020
This should have done at airport arrivals, not a good way to treat stranded poor in the middle of nowhere.
— nikas kindo (@nikaskindo) March 30, 2020
The sheer lack of empathy in this country is alarming, no one would do this to the people disembarking from a plane.!
— Isha (@isha_barnali) March 30, 2020
Spraying chemical solutions at humans.. Seriously have v gone to that level. There r many ways to see if they have covid or not, just bcoz spraying chemical solutions, what if some one gets skin allergy r something. Seriously worst step ever.. #humansnotmachines
— Divya Sridhar (@Divya22888) March 30, 2020
Shocking is too mild a word to describe this act of the concerned authorities. Those sprayed on,were already beleaguered, having trudged long distances on foot with children in tow,and very little to eat or drink.We all need to bow our head in shame!
— Surinder Shahid (@SurinderShahid) March 30, 2020
That’s barbaric man !
— sakib lone (@SakibLone1) March 30, 2020
How a babu’s airlifted virus ,leads to such a treatment of poor !
That’s inhumane !
This is not only ridiculous but also against the basic dignity of mankind. Government should mind that it is our Constitutional Right to Dignified Life and #Covid_19india does not denigrate the same. @UPGovt @myogiadityanath @PMOIndia #CoronaUpdate
— Vikas Talwar (@Talwar_Vikas) March 30, 2020
This is totally radiculous….how can do this…all are human…strict action should be taken against the concern who have given this orders
— ajay prakash (@twit_ajay2014) March 30, 2020
They are treated worst than Animals.. This is not the way of Quarantine… Apathetic… Do you check likewise in Airports… Double standards…
— Praveen Kumar (@Praveen48305548) March 30, 2020
This is not only ridiculous but also against the basic dignity of mankind. Government should mind that it is our Constitutional Right to Dignified Life and #Covid_19india does not denigrate the same. @UPGovt @myogiadityanath @PMOIndia #CoronaUpdate
— Vikas Talwar (@Talwar_Vikas) March 30, 2020
Rich people brought the Virus
— vik (@viksz27) March 30, 2020
They are quarantining in 5star
Poor people are struggling for survival
And now are treated as animals 😡
Though, this did seem inhuman, a lot of people didn’t see a problem in this activity.
To All Those Intelligent Defenders of Spraying in UP
— Ashish K Singh (ABP News) (@AshishSinghLIVE) March 30, 2020
“Overzealous action by officials done out of ignorance or fear”- Indian govt officials over locals officials in UP spraying disinfectant over migrant workers (Mr Love Agrawal, Jt Secy, Health Ministry, GoI)
More bizzare stuff on the story of migrants sprayed with disinfectant in Bareilly .This is the district’s fire officer – he says ‘chemical’ used as disinfectant was only meant for metal and other surfaces and not human beings.Then says it seems people got sprayed inadvertently ! pic.twitter.com/Dm6Qo9q45P
— Alok Pandey (@alok_pandey) March 30, 2020
Disinfectant spraying of people, esp those coming from outside, is acceptable in COVID season. Watch China, Indonesia etc. Even with new airport arrivals. Drones are also used to spray. Disinfectants aren’t insecticides. Better to not outrage without facts.
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) March 30, 2020
Just saw a story on @aajtak regarding use of Sodium Hypochlorite solution spray as disinfectant at Bareilly Bus Stand to sanitize humans. The reporter should know that the same chemical is used in Swimming Pools as a disinfectant as well and isn’t harmful to swimmers.
— Vijay Suman Sharma (@vssvm) March 30, 2020
NO. This ain’t harassment of the Poor. This is usual way of sanitization of people in large groups. Pics from Wuhan, Indonesia, Manila. That’s how you disinfect human beings. Looks ugly but that’s the way. pic.twitter.com/8FMG7IARdk
— Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj (@DeepikaBhardwaj) March 30, 2020
Same is being done at the airport. Even same is being by the at army at few of their offices. So why create a hue and cry over it. Is’nt prevention better than cure ?
— Parthajit (@parthajit0101) March 30, 2020
This is a practice all around the globe.
— Aditya Narayan (@adityanarayan96) March 30, 2020
There are disinfectant tunnels in Spain, France, China and elsewhere.
But some people in the comment section have a problem to it when it is done in India.
Here’s hoping that the government treats everyone with sympathy during these difficult times.