Few states in India know better than Kerala what living away from home entails. They say every family in Kerala has at least one member who lives abroad or in some other part of India. In the last 10 years, the state has seen, perhaps for the first time in its history, an influx of migrants from Odisha, West Bengal and even Bangladesh. Called ‘bhais’ by the locals, quite a few of them live in makeshift houses in Perumbavoor, a satellite town of Kochi.
On Sundays, Perumbavoor speaks and sings in the languages of east India. Romantic numbers from Bengali films greet you as you enter a crowded Gandhi Bazaar. Vendors sell fried snacks and sweets no Malayalee has heard of. People queue up to buy clothes from their home states. Cheap ‘Made in China’ electronics sell like hot cakes as gifts to send home.
Sitting in small clusters, the migrant workers catch up on news from home, be it politics, business or just the latest wedding in the family. Home, whether in Odisha or West Bengal, is at least a three-night train journey from Kochi. It’s a ride most cannot afford very often. That explains the queue outside the telephone booths. Some of them have even learnt to use the internet.
If not for emails, the internet is used to load popular film songs and ringtones on the mobile phones. B-grade Odiya and Bengali films run to full houses in the decrepit theatres in Gandhi Bazaar.
The locals are not too welcoming of this influx of migrants. Recent newspaper reports suggest a sense of paranoia resulting from the presence of the ‘outsiders’. Their wages are often less than what locals would earn. Real estate prices in Perumbavoor have plummeted due to the presence of the bhais. Their abysmal living conditions and many deaths resulting from the lack of workplace safety and medical help never make the headlines.
Photos by Thulasi Kakkat
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.