: Violating lockdownprotocol, at least 100 guest workers took out a march here on Thursday demanding immediate arrangementsto return to their home states.The demonstration comes a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued guidelines to allow inter-state movement of stranded migrant workers, tourists, pilgrims, students and others.Holding placards and raising slogans, the workers took outthe march at around 10 am at nearby Chattiparambilbazaar."Less than hundred workers from other states took out a protest march seeking assistance to go back to theirnative. states. We used force to disperse them and held discussions and noted down their demands," the Malappuram DySP told P T I.He said the workers were demanding transport facilities to move back to their native land as there was no work here.Malappuram district, which falls under the red zone in Kerala, has over 1,500 people under observation and one positive case, as per the medical bulletin issued on Wednesday."They said their families were suffering back at their homes as the workers here were unable to send money due to lack of work during lockdown period. They said they had food and other facilities here but were unhappy as they were unable to return to their families," the official said.Another official said some of the protestors have been taken into custody."We are investigating whether there has been any conspiracy or instigation behind the move," a senior police official said.Severalguest workers had assembled in Paippad town in Kottayam district on March 29 urging the State Government to arrange vehicles for them to travel to their home destinations in north India.However, due to the nation-wide lockdown, the governmenthad turned down their plea, but instead arranged freemeals for them at various places where they have been lodged.Presently in Kerala, 3.61 lakh guest workers are lodged in 20,826 camps.Attracted with the high wages for labourers in Kerala, lakhs of people from the north-eastern states of West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Manipur have been working and living in Kerala since the past many years.
