Migrant laborers in a railway station in Kerala
Image courtesy: www.mathrubhumi.com
The inundation of Kerala's labor market with "bengalis" (no offense intended to anybody - this has become a vernacular term in Kerala and probably south India for migrant laborers from the north-east) is reflected in every nook an corner of Kerala. So is in Padinjattummuri, a humble town in Malappuram district, north Kerala. By 6:30 or 7:00 A.M., the town is crowded with migrant laborers waiting to be picked up for that day's work by local contractors. Overall, this mass influx of laborers has increased the social status of an average Keralite - bengalis demand cheaper wages, and they are ready to do any work. Some important points to be noted here are:
- The migrant workers might be lifting the social status of an average Keralite, however, might not be so generous to the the economy of Kerala. The Department of Labor reveals in it's Domestic Migrant Labor (DML) Report (2013) that the remittance of these laborers to their home states amount to Rs. 17,500 crores. The report also suggests that the then welfare schemes for such laborers are not sufficient. Although it could be argued that welfare of immigrants should not be prioritized above the welfare of Keralites, welfare schemes for migrant laborers which ensure their investment and spending in Kerala, will boost Kerala's economy. Not to be neglected are the side-effects such as increased settling of immigrants in Kerala, which will bring in new issues such as population explosion, etc.
- The situation that Kerala needs bengalis for every work underlines the need for increasing the self-sufficiency of households in Kerala. Self-sufficiency here means being able to fix minor electric and plumbing problems, being able to grow vegetables in gardens, etc.
- It may be that a good percentage of Keralite households is self-sufficient, if not in farming, but the tendency might be prevalent predominantly in lower class households, and diminishes up the economic status scale. The enrollment in engineering colleges in Kerala is about 28,000 a year in 2012, a majority of which are from the middle or the upper class. There would be numerous households familiar with the common complaint that the kid here is/ was an engineering student, and yet he/ she does not know how to change a bulb! This poses questions on the quality of technical education imparted to students, right from the school level. This state will continue if students are forced to learn only theorems and proofs, and not experiments and vocational aspects. It is a popular belief that CBSE and English-medium schools train students for only quizzes and olympiads and not innovative practical competitions. This, if true, only worsens the situation that these days, more and more parents want their children to study in these types of schools, and not in the Malayalam-medium schools. The governments and schools could come up with joint ventures with industrial institutions - ventures which inculcate and develop competitive and innovative industrial ideas in students.
- With respect to farming, self-sufficiency could be possible even in apartments, using rooftop farming as shown in the Malayalam movie How Old Are You. Although the Kerala State Horticulture Mission launched a rooftop farming drive in 2011, there are no reports of progress. As a relief come the news of individuals and groups who have resorted to household and small-scale farming, reaping success and becoming role-models for others. I personally know people who have been farming on rooftops and backyards for years, and reap excellent yield, enough to cover the vegetable requirements of theirs and their neighbors' families.
A rooftop garden in Kochi, 2011 photo.
Image courtesy: www.thehindubusinessline.com
During such a dynamic phase of social and economic development in Kerala, it is necessary that the governments take steps to stabilize the condition, doing what the current situation demands, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs - in short, strive for sustainable development.
