Tragic Incidents Highlight Risks Faced by Migrant Workers in Lakhimpur
Grief Strikes Lakhimpur District
North Lakhimpur, Jan 9: The onset of the New Year has brought sorrow to Lakhimpur district, marked by three distressing cases involving the deaths and disappearances of migrant youths from outside Assam. These incidents underscore the precarious situations faced by individuals seeking employment opportunities away from home.
The most recent case emerged on Tuesday with the discovery of Ilias Shamim's body, a young man from Fatehpur in Nowboicha, found hanging in Ziro. Shamim had been working in Arunachal Pradesh, and the circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear, leaving his family and community in shock and fear.
On January 8, another tragic event unfolded in Manipur, where Kiran Handique, a 23-year-old from Handique village in Dhalpur, reportedly died while employed at an iron factory in Senapati district. Family members were informed that Kiran fell into a furnace, but they are demanding a thorough investigation due to their disbelief over the incident.
Compounding the distress is the mysterious disappearance of Utpal Handique, also from Rongoti in Dhalpur, who has been missing since early January while traveling to Bengaluru. Utpal boarded a train on January 2 from Tatibahar station, intending to complete an annual verification for compensation linked to a previous job.
Having lost his left hand before 2014, Utpal was required to undergo yearly checks for his compensation. His family last heard from him on January 3 after he boarded the train from Guwahati. Since January 4, his phone has been unreachable.
After multiple attempts to contact Utpal, a fellow passenger answered his phone, revealing that Utpal's belongings were left unattended on his seat. The passenger mentioned seeing him taken away by a Travelling Ticket Examiner at a station near Bhubaneswar, after which he vanished without a trace.
The family has reached out to the police for a more vigorous investigation and has also appealed to Assam's Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, for assistance in locating Utpal.
These incidents have sparked widespread anger in rural Lakhimpur, where many unemployed youths migrate annually in search of work. Locals express concern over the frequent reports of disappearances and suspicious deaths among migrant workers from Assam, highlighting a lack of effective protective measures.
“These occurrences are no longer isolated. Our young men leave home seeking a better life, only to return as corpses or not at all,” lamented a resident of Rongoti village. “Families are left with sorrow, unanswered questions, and no closure.”
With few job opportunities and a significant absence of support systems for unskilled and semi-skilled workers, migration remains the only viable option for many, often jeopardizing their safety and dignity.