Lack of jobs compels many to leave their homes and families in search of livelihood, a quest for a better life that brings with it great struggle in its train.
Migrant workers returning home to vote in the parliamentary election in West Bengal recount stories of their struggles and express their hopes and expectations on a railroad journey.
It will be "didi" in Delhi this time, said a group of men travelling in the Krishnanagar-Lalgola local train to Murshidabad, drawing sharp retort from a few others seated next, who feel apart from retaining power at the Centre, "Modi's party" will sweep in West Bengal.
As the three constituencies in Murshidabad go to polls over the next few days, trains to the district are packed to the full with migrant labourers returning home to cast their votes.
Murshidabad district, along with Malda, send lakhs of labourers from the state to across the country, especially to southern states.
Rejaul from the Raninagar area of Murshidabad is one of them who works in Kerala's Malappuram district as a sanitation worker. He is returning home after eight months just to cast his vote.
"We have been traditional Congress supporters. But this time I don't know who the candidates are as I was away from home for long. Let's see, he said.
Rejaul was travelling along with 10-12 other men who work along with him in Malappuram. Rafikul, one of those travelling with him, said, "I will be glad if 'didi' becomes prime minister. No one cares about Bengalis as much as she does. She has created an identity in other places for us."
Listening to the conversation half awake, a man in his 40s, travelling in the same direction, said, "They are kids. They know nothing. They haven't seen the way BJP has developed the rest of the country. I live in (BJP-ruled) Haryana's Sonepat, they would understand once they see BJP's development works."
As the war of words on a hot summer morning upped the election fever, an unusual comment from other side of the crowd interrupted: "What will you get by voting?"
Sidling a minute of silence, the man who was part of a group of officials heading for poll training in Nadia district, said, There is no security. Officials are disappearing from their offices. An official was killed during last year's panchayat polls, why will you go out and vote?
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