High drama prevailed in Payipad town on the outskirts of the Kottayam district on Sunday morning when hundreds of inter-state migrant workers staged a public protest defying the country-wide lock down. The attempts by the police and the Payippad Panchayat authorities to pacify the protesters are yet to reach a breakthrough. Their resentment snowballed into a protest allegedly after the Panchat refused to intervene in the issue. But despair gave way to anger as they were denied food on the next morning and afternoon as well,” said a local resident. As per estimates, around 10,000 inter-state migrant workers have been camping in the Payippad panchayat.

Source: The Hindu March 29, 2020 09:22 UTC