India Lockdown: At Least 40 Pilgrims from Assam Stuck in West Bengal Appeal Govt for Help

Kolkata, March 25, 2020:

At least 40 pilgrims from Assam, who are stuck in West Bengal, following the lockdown declared to contain the dangerous novel coronavirus or COVID-19, have appealed to Chief Minister Sabananda Sonowal and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to help return to their homes safely.

https://www.facebook.com/ne.inside/videos/1047716362279697/?t=6

The pilgrims have been travelling since the past three days in a bus, which they boarded after their return tickets via railways were cancelled. They have urged the Government of Assam to rescue them amid the nation-wide lockdown.

“Honorable Chief Minister of Assam and Health Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, we came to visit the Vaishnao Devi Mandir in a group. Along with Vaishnao Devi, we also wanted to visit the Golden Temple. It’s been eight days since we came out. When we learnt that our return tickets were cancelled, we brought the same bus to Guwahati, in which we had been journeying. We were returning safely, however, when we reached West Bengal’s Khoirabari check gate, they stopped us,” said one of them who recorded a video, which has now gone viral on social media.

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According to the pilgrims, the Khoirabari checkgate authorities have not provided them with the basic amenities like food and water in the last 24 hours. The video showed the pilgrims stuck in the bus, who were requesting the Assam Government to save them.

“We have kids who are between two to six years of age. Nobody has been fed properly. Biscuits, chocolates and all that we had in our bags have been exhausted,” said one of them.

Another woman with her 4-year-old child said, “I had fed her buiscuits and water. They have even provided us with water or any other basic facility.”

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It’s been three days since we’ve been traveling in the bus. They stopped us here in this check post at midnight. They have not taken any step to fix the situation. There is no food here. If Assam Government can come at our rescue, it would be grateful,” said a woman who was among the pilgrims.

The individual, who was recording the clip, said that the authorities of Khoirabari had halted the Bus in an area where there are no public toilets.

The Bus in which the pilgrims are stuck or in other words, sheltering was provided to them by a travel agency. “The Bus No. is HR-38-Z2341. WE had been stopped by the checkgate authorities here,” said the man who recorded the video and requested the Assam Government to take some immediate measure to help them return to their homes.

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It may be mentioned here that the entire nation has gone into lockdown after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday night announced the same. India is in lockdown for the next 20 days. Barring basic facilities like health, groceries, financial and a few essentials, everything have been ordered to remain closed.

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