Ahead of the Chhath festival, Bhojpuri artist Khesari Lal Yadav voiced deep concern over the severe travel challenges confronting migrant workers trying to return home. In a video shared on his official social media profile, he appealed directly to the central government, the Bihar administration, and Indian Railways to step in and facilitate travel arrangements. With festive passenger volumes causing extreme transport shortages and driving ticket prices to extraordinary heights, thousands of people across the country are finding it exceedingly difficult to reach their native villages for the annual observance.
Emotional Significance of the Festival and Passenger Hurdles
Describing the spiritual reverence associated with the occasion, Khesari Lal Yadav remarked that Chhath Puja represents the very heartbeat of the people and holds maternal sanctity for devotees. Migrant communities residing in distant industrial hubs plan their journeys months in advance to reunite with their families and participate in the sacred rituals. However, persistent ticket shortages turn this annual journey into an ordeal, as regular rail routes become heavily overbooked with extensive waiting lists.
He pointed out that workers living in states like Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Maharashtra are enduring major distress while attempting to secure transport to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The overwhelming gap between passenger demand and available railway capacity leaves daily wage earners and middle-class travelers stranded, forcing many to spend distressing hours at transit hubs in an effort to reach their ancestral homes.
Skyrocketing Airfares Beyond Common Reach
Addressing the aviation sector, Khesari Lal Yadav underscored that flight tickets on routes connecting major metros to the region have surged to 35 thousand, 40 thousand, and even 50 thousand rupees for a single journey. Such steep fares place air travel entirely out of reach for ordinary workers whose monthly earnings fall well below these numbers. Consequently, air connectivity ceases to be a viable alternative during peak festive periods for those facing train cancellations.
He noted that he holds no grievance against private aviation companies, acknowledging that their pricing structures operate on commercial principles and market demand. Because private airlines run as corporate enterprises, public expectations for fair and affordable festive connectivity must instead be directed toward state authorities and the national rail network, which carry the fundamental duty of mass transit.
Appeal for Inter-State Special Trains
Drawing attention to the governance framework, Khesari Lal Yadav highlighted that the same political administration currently holds power both at the central level and in the state of Bihar. Under an aligned double-engine administration, executing swift inter-departmental decisions and coordinating with the railway network should be considerably simpler and faster. He stressed that elected leaders bear a democratic responsibility toward their citizens in times of severe distress.
To mitigate the crisis, he urged the authorities to deploy dedicated festival special trains originating from all major migrant-heavy states heading toward Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand. Adding substantial rail capacity, he maintained, would allow devotees dedicated to Chhathi Maiya to receive their mothers' blessings and celebrate the festival alongside their loved ones without unnecessary suffering. He concluded by asking the authorities to show empathy toward the migrant community and address their travel hardships without delay.
