Departure of migrant workers brings Kerala to standstill

The mass departure of migrant workers from Kerala to vote in the West Bengal Assembly elections has brought several sectors in the state to a near standstill. Over the years, activities like farming, rubber tapping, and even making tea have become dominated by workers from Bengal and other states. It is no surprise that their temporary absence has disrupted the construction and restaurant industries. The workers are expected to return by late May or early June, after the elections on the 29th and the Bakrid festival. Until then, these sectors are likely to remain in crisis. Work on national highways and bridges in Kerala has slowed down significantly. In the tourism sector, where 90% of workers are from Assam and Bengal, the impact is equally severe. Even the work on doubling the coastal railway tracks has been disrupted!

In Alappuzha district, construction is underway in several areas, including the Aroor bridge. Work on bridges and yards is also progressing along the Kumbalam-Thuravoor stretch. However, a shortage of workers has brought welding and cutting activities nearly to a standstill. The restaurant industry, already struggling due to disruptions in cooking gas supply, is facing further difficulties because of the return of migrant workers to their home states. More than half of the small restaurants and hotels in Kerala have been closed. Even those that remain open are offering fewer food items. It has been nearly a month since the supply of commercial gas cylinders was reduced. Restaurant owners say they are still not receiving even 50% of the required supply. Among suppliers, Indian Oil Corporation is the only one providing cylinders in a relatively better manner.

Usually, when migrant workers go home, they return only after two or three months. Because of this, employers do not normally allow them to leave in large numbers at once. However, this time, due to the SIR-related situation, they were given leave in groups on their request. With fewer food items available, prices have also gone up, affecting local people. In many places, the price of tea and snacks like vada has risen to around Rs 12. As it is summer, the demand for cold drinks is high, but many shops are charging prices as they wish. A similar large-scale return of migrant workers was seen during the COVID period. However, at that time, most sectors were officially shut down, so the impact on Kerala was not as severe as it is now.

Previously, workers from Tamil Nadu handled most manual labour in Kerala. But today, 90 percent of small businesses selling tea and snacks are run by people from Tamil Nadu. Things are moving toward a situation where the workers at the bottom level are Bengalis and the owners are Tamilians. Such instances, where it is clearly recognised that Kerala survives by fully relying on people from other states, should become a platform for much-needed reflection. The nearly 40 lakh migrant workers may not always be here like this. Authorities must start thinking now about what alternative systems should be in place if their numbers decrease in the future.