Mahendra Choudhary

Mahendra Choudhry, a 23-year-old employee at a grocery store, was in Badlapur, Mumbai, when the lockdown began. His journey from Kalyan to Bandra, then to the Gujarat border, and finally to Pali in Rajasthan was fraught with challenges. He had to borrow money as bus tickets were extremely expensive, costing 20,000 to 25,000 INR each.

He relied on YouTube news for information and received no support or instructions. Although he managed to secure a bus ticket, food and water were scarce, and he had to walk the remaining distances.

The journey took 4-5 days, and upon arrival, he was quarantined for 15 days. With no substantial work in his village, he returned to the city. Mahendra received no support or assistance during this period and emphasizes that migrants should be informed well in advance before any lockdown is imposed.