Video: Crowd surge at Surat station as migrants head home, police lathicharge

The ongoing Middle East conflict and the LPG crisis are beginning to ripple across parts of India, disrupting industries and forcing many labourers to return to their home states.

Heavy crowds gathered at Surat’s Udhna railway station on Sunday, as thousands of migrant workers attempted to board trains bound for Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The situation quickly spiralled out of control, forcing the police to lathicharge the crowd. Videos circulating on social media showed passengers scrambling to escape, with some jumping over iron railings.

At around 11:30 AM, tensions rose when some passengers tried to break through queues while others were waiting to board a train to Hasanpur (Bihar). As the disorder escalated, police and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel intervened with a baton charge to restore control.

Railway official Anubhav Saxena stated that by noon, more than 21,000 passengers had departed Udhna on six trains. However, the overwhelming turnout made crowd management extremely difficult. Despite repeated announcements urging people to remain orderly, the situation deteriorated, forcing authorities to take stricter measures.

"The first train departed from Udhna to Jaynagar at 1:30 AM, followed by another train to Madhubani at 5:30 AM. We are continuously monitoring the number of passengers, and the railway has made complete arrangements," said Saxena.

The surge in crowds at the station can be partly attributed to the summer holiday season. However, the ongoing LPG crisis over the past few months has also led to a steady outflow of workers. The overlap of seasonal travel and crisis-driven migration has significantly increased passenger numbers, effectively overwhelming the railway’s capacity and arrangements.

Addressing questions about the viral videos and the baton charge on passengers, the railway official explained, "Passengers were being brought to the station, and at that time, some individuals attempted to break the line. Appeals were made to maintain order. However, when individuals broke the line, we had to resort to lathicharge."

Meanwhile, the LPG crisis has dealt a significant blow to Surat's textile industry. Approximately 30 per cent, or 300,000 workers, have already migrated, reducing production from 65 million metres to 45 million metres daily. The industry requires 15,000 gas cylinders, but the supply is slow. If the situation does not improve, there is a risk of further worker migration and increased losses.

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(With inputs from Sanjay Singh Rathore)