Ranchi – Nineteen migrant workers from Jharkhand’s Bokaro and Hazaribagh districts are stranded in Cameroon, West Africa, and have appealed to both the central and state governments for immediate repatriation.
They had travelled to Cameroon through a private agency to work on electricity transmission projects. However, they claim their employer has withheld salaries for the past four months.
In videos circulated on social media, the workers described severe hardships, saying they lack money for food, clean water, and medical care. “We are surviving on charity. If someone falls sick, we can’t afford treatment,” one of them said.
The stranded workers include Prem Tudu, Sibon Tudu, Somar Besra, Puran Tudu, Ramji Hansada, Virwa Hansda, Mahendra Hansda, and Bablu Soren from Bokaro; and Aghnu Soren, Ashok Soren, Chetlal Soren, Mahesh Marandi, Ramji Marandi, Lalchand Murmu, Phoolchand Murmu, Budhan Murmu, Jiblal Manjhi, Chhotan Baske, and Rajendra Kisku from Hazaribagh.
Social activist Sikandar Ali, who works on migrant worker rights, has urged the government to take immediate diplomatic measures for their rescue. He warned that such incidents are recurring, with many labourers from Jharkhand being lured abroad with promises of high wages, only to end up trapped in exploitative conditions.
Ali stressed the urgent need for better employment opportunities in Jharkhand to prevent unsafe migration. Earlier, five Jharkhand workers were kidnapped in Niger, another West African country, and remain missing.
With inputs from IANS