People from Jharkhand stranded in other parts of the country are calling out to whoever they can for help to head home amid the nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with four hours’ notice that has left thousands far from home and helpless.

“Thirteen of us are stuck here,” said Jairam Paswan of Bishunpur village in Garhwa district, who had gone for treatment to Christian Medical College at Vellore in Tamil Nadu but couldn’t return as trains were stopped.

Yogendra Prasad from the same area is also now in Vellore for treatment with his wife and daughter.

Kundan Kumar of Balumath in Latehar, who had gone for his wife’s treatment, is similarly stranded with his cousin Ajay Yadav, who was supposed to undergo a surgery there.

“We are not sure when we can return. Our limited amount of money is exhausting fast,” Kundan said, explaining they were five people and had to hire two rooms at Rs 300 per room per day.

“We also have to other expenditures including food,” he said, adding he was unsure how to manage without help.

“I’m particularly worried as I have left my kid back home,” said Kundan’s wife Manisha.

She had to leave the child with her sister-in-law because she was to undergo a surgery in Vellore and couldn't have attended to the child herself.

“We have also contacted our friends with a request to get in touch with the MLA and MP of our constituency but don’t know how they would be able to take us back home,” Ashok said, when advised to dial the helpline numbers of the Jharkhand government.

The state wing of the Right to Food Campaign had tweeted about their plight on Sunday, tagging chief minister Hemant Soren’s handle.

“Someone from Chennai called us to ask where we have put up,” Kundan said. “I heard that the government arranged meals for a few people but none of us got it.”

Many such people from Jharkhand are stranded in states across the country.

“We are collecting details of people like us and the list has crossed 1,500 already,” said Jaglal Mahto of Bokaro district, who is in Mumbai.

“We were working here. But there’s no income as we have no work now,” he said.

SOS to state

State education minister Jagarnath Mahto had tweeted about their plight, tagging @jharkhand181, the Twitter handle of the Covid-19 control room of Jharkhand.

“There are at least 300 people from Jamtara district who were working in Kerala and are stuck there with no work,” Jamtara MLA Irfan Ansari, who had also tweeted about their problems, said on Monday.

“No government help came in so far but some organisations have started taking care of them,” Ansari said.

“We are united in the fight against coronavirus but Modi ji should have taken effective measures to help such people and save them from the sufferings they are going through now,” Ansari said.