Delhi protest: Stopped at police barricades, daily-wage workers lose day’s earnings

Daily-wage workers trying to reach jobs in Central Delhi were stopped at several Delhi Police barricades on Saturday morning. Police generally allowed people with government identity cards to proceed. Workers without permits were turned away, even when their workplaces were nearby. The restrictions mattered because missing work meant losing income that families needed immediately.

At a barricade near India Gate, Ram Kishan Mandal and other construction workers were stopped despite calling their employer. Near Nizamuddin, workers said their construction site was just across a flyover. Electrician Mukesh Chauhan was also stopped while riding to work. Devender Chauhan’s wife, wearing her cafe uniform, was first refused entry but later received permission to walk to work.

The blockade affected workers beyond the protest itself. CITU (Delhi) secretary P.V. Aniyan said daily-wage and gig workers were worst affected. The article does not state how many workers were stopped or whether the restrictions continued after Saturday morning.

A police barricade is a physical barrier or checkpoint that slows, stops or filters people and vehicles. Officers can check identity cards, permits or the purpose of travel before allowing someone through. In this case, Delhi Police used multiple layers of barricades on roads leading to Central Delhi. Mostly, only people with government ID cards were allowed to continue.

The security operation was set up before a protest demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Barricades were placed near India Gate and Nizamuddin, among other routes. Workers said police told them they lacked permission to proceed, even when their workplaces were close by. One construction site was reportedly about 50 metres from a barricade.

The arrangement turned ordinary routes into controlled entry points. That helped limit movement toward the protest area, but it also blocked workers whose jobs were unrelated. The article records complaints about lost earnings and travel costs, but does not state how long every barricade remained in place.

The article shows that missing one workday can involve both lost earnings and wasted travel expenses. Mukesh Chauhan, an electrician, said he earned about ₹9,000 a month and would lose the day’s pay if police stopped him from reaching work. He also said he had already spent ₹100 on petrol. Thus, his immediate loss was at least the day’s wage plus ₹100 in travel costs.

The article does not state Chauhan’s exact daily rate, so it cannot provide a precise total. It also gives no wage figures for Ram Kishan Mandal, the construction workers near Nizamuddin, or Devender Chauhan’s wife. Their losses would likewise depend on their individual pay arrangements and any transport costs already incurred.

The clearest documented figure is therefore ₹100 in petrol, added to an unspecified day’s earnings. Chauhan’s ₹9,000 monthly income highlights the pressure of even one missed shift. The article does not say whether workers received compensation or recovered their wages later.

For workers paid only when they work, missing a day immediately cuts household income. There may be no paid leave or replacement payment. The loss can affect food, rent, transport and urgent family needs. Ram Kishan Mandal asked what his family would eat for two days if he could not work, showing how quickly one missed shift could become a basic living problem.

Mandal said floods had destroyed his house in Bihar. His wife and children were living under a tarpaulin roof, and he needed earnings to rebuild. Mukesh Chauhan said he would lose his day’s pay and the ₹100 already spent on petrol. Other workers were also turned away from construction sites, a cafe and an advertising company.

These immediate losses can also delay recovery from emergencies. The article does not provide a general wage rate or say whether employers paid workers who could not reach their jobs. CITU (Delhi) said the blockade completely affected one day’s earnings for daily-wage and gig workers.

Delhi Police personnel enforced the movement restrictions at barricades across routes into Central Delhi. The article says security forces established multiple layers of barricades, while police officers checked who could proceed. Mostly, people with government ID cards were allowed through. Workers without permits were stopped, even when they said employers expected them at nearby workplaces.

The operation was connected to a protest demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. The article describes Delhi as having turned into a fortress before the protest. Barricades were reported on roads leading toward central areas, including near India Gate and Nizamuddin. These checkpoints were intended to manage access during the protest.

The enforcement affected people who were not identified as protesters. Construction workers, an electrician, a cafe employee and an advertising worker were delayed or refused passage. CITU (Delhi) criticised the impact on daily-wage and gig workers. The article does not identify a separate individual who ordered the police operation.

Central Delhi contains workplaces that depend on people moving through the same roads used to reach government and protest areas. When security forces close or control those routes, nearby workers can be stopped even if they have no connection to the demonstration. Their jobs may be inside the restricted zone, while their homes or transport routes are outside it.

The article gives a clear example near Nizamuddin. Workers said their construction site was just across a flyover, about 50 metres away, but police still refused to let them pass. Devender Chauhan’s wife was wearing her cafe uniform, yet she was initially stopped. An advertising worker in Khan Market said he held the shop key and had been told to open it.

This creates lost wages, delayed openings and extra travel problems. Chauhan said other roads were also closed. After repeated requests, his wife was allowed to walk about 2 km to work. The article shows how broad controls can disrupt local commerce and workers’ routines.

The daily-wage system pays a worker according to days or shifts completed, rather than guaranteeing a regular salary independent of attendance. If movement restrictions prevent a worker from reaching the job, the worker may receive no payment for that day. This matters most when income is needed immediately for food, housing or family emergencies.

The article illustrates this through construction workers and Mukesh Chauhan, an electrician earning about ₹9,000 a month. Chauhan said he would not be paid if he missed work and would also lose ₹100 spent on petrol. Ram Kishan Mandal needed his earnings after floods destroyed his home. These workers were stopped despite having jobs nearby.

Informal workers are vulnerable because the article describes no paid leave, compensation or alternative work during the blockade. CITU (Delhi) said daily-wage and gig workers were worst affected. Restrictions can therefore turn a short closure into an immediate household crisis, though the article gives no broader income data.