Kuwait building fire: What explains more names of Keralites in such tragedies abroad?

According to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Kerala recorded the highest unemployment rate among the 15-29 age group in urban areas for the January-March quarter of 2024

By Rejimon Kuttappan
Deputy Editor

While writing this article, the mortal remains of the 23 Keralites killed in Wednesday’s labour accommodation fire in Kuwait had arrived in Kerala in a special aircraft arranged by the Indian government. Out of the 50 who were killed in the Kuwait building fire, 45 were Indians.

This year, to my knowledge, Kerala has witnessed three tragedies involving its residents abroad. In March, a Keralite farmworker, who had migrated to northern Israel in January, was reportedly killed in a missile attack. Two other Keralites were injured and hospitalized in Israel.

In April, three young Keralite fishermen cousins, who had migrated to Russia in January for security guard jobs, were reportedly duped by an agent and forced to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war. One of the men returned to India on medical grounds after being hit by a bullet. Another cousin returned a few weeks ago, while the third remains in Ukraine, reportedly fighting for Putin.

Whether in Arab Gulf countries which generally lack labour-friendly laws, or in war zones like Israel or Russia, Keralites are willing to migrate at the cost of compromising on their dignity or even risking their lives. The force driving them to these extremes is a lack of job opportunities in the southern Indian state of Kerala, a pressing issue ever since the state’s formation for which no solution has yet been found.

According to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI), Kerala recorded the highest unemployment rate among the 15-29 age group in urban areas for the January-March quarter of 2024, while Delhi had the lowest joblessness rate.

The survey revealed that Kerala had an unemployment rate of 31.8 per cent, with Jammu and Kashmir following closely in second place at 28.2 per cent.

[Also, by the same author: Read how, 80 years ago, a Muslim woman with Tipu blood spied for Brits – THE NEWS PORTER]

The survey, which covered 22 states and Union territories, identified Telangana, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, and Odisha as the other states with high unemployment rates in this age category.

Three states and UTs recorded single-digit unemployment rates: Delhi (3.1 per cent), Gujarat (9 per cent), and Haryana (9.5 per cent). Karnataka (11.5 per cent) and Madhya Pradesh (12.1 per cent) also had relatively low unemployment rates.

Unemployment: A Key Challenge

The data also highlighted the high unemployment rate for women, with Jammu & Kashmir at 48.6 per cent, followed by Kerala (46.6 per cent).

The PLFS survey tracks joblessness, labour force participation, and worker-population ratios. The unemployment rate is based on the Current Weekly Status (CWS), where a person is considered unemployed if he/she did not work for at least one hour during the reference week but was available for work during that time.

Is the unemployment issue in Kerala a new problem? No. The 1960 Kerala Economic Review states that visible unemployment had reached 900,000 in 1959. Kerala was formed as a state in the year 1957.

According to Kerala’s employment exchange register, approximately 2,864,631 (around 29 lakh) job aspirants are registered and waiting for job opportunities. Kerala’s total population is just above 3.3 crore. The figure reveals that around 10 per cent of the population of Kerala is unemployed – quite a stark statistic.

Adding to the woes of job seekers, media reports claim that about 25,000 appointments were made in various government and public sector undertakings bypassing the employment exchange. These include the departments of general education, health, local self-government, water authority, and Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), a cherished and long-standing public transportation service in India.

In addition to these issues, politically backed backdoor employment is rampant in Kerala, bypassing the employment exchange and leaving job seekers as mere spectators.

Speaking to The NewsPorter, Mini Mohan, a workers’ rights activist and sociologist, said that unemployment, driven by various factors, is pushing Keralites to migrate abroad, even to war zones.

“In the case of the Keralite fishermen who fought for Putin and got injured, unemployment due to climate change is the root cause,” said Mini.

Climate Change

“Climate change has warmed the seas, leading to an increase in cyclones, which has reduced the number of fishing days in Kerala’s coastal areas. Previously, fishermen used to have at least 10 months of fishing opportunities annually, but now it has dwindled to three or two months. What are these young fishermen supposed to do? With no jobs available in Kerala, they are compelled to migrate abroad,” she added.

Ignatious Loyola, a social activist based in the Thiruvananthapuram coastal area from where fishermen migrated to Russia, told The NewsPorter that there are more than 2,000 homes in his parish, and each home now has migrants abroad.

“It’s purely unemployment that forces the young fishermen to migrate,” he pointed out.

Student Migration

Recently, student migration has also been increasing in Kerala. After completing their preliminary studies in Kerala, many youngsters are migrating to Western countries for higher education. Unfortunately, a majority of these students who migrate for education are seeking permanent residency options.

The Changanassery Archdiocese in Kerala launched a project recently to address the issue of students and youth leaving the state. This initiative aims to establish industrial and business units by mobilizing Catholic youths at the parish level. The project will focus on the extensive Christian belt spanning Kottayam, Idukki, and Pathanamthitta districts. Its goal is to invigorate the labour market, encourage youth entrepreneurship through technological and investment support, and ultimately curb migration.

Commenting on the initiative, James Palackal, Vicar General at the Archdiocese of Changanassery, emphasised its goal of supporting the younger generation who often leave the country in pursuit of better opportunities.

Brain Drain

“The Church recognizes that our society is experiencing a significant loss of its intellectual capital due to mass migration. Therefore, we aim to assist them in entering the industry and commerce sectors, under the mentorship of successful entrepreneurs and with the Church’s guidance,” he noted.

In November last year, while addressing a conference, Indian parliamentarian Dr Shashi Tharoor said that Kerala should review and revise the legislation to remove outdated laws that stop the establishment of businesses in Kerala. He also proposed a change in the university curriculum to enhance job creation.

“Young people are leaving the state and wishing to leave the state. About 33 per cent of the youngsters wish to go abroad for higher studies as there are no suitable jobs for them,” he had said then.

In essence, if we start hearing more names of Keralites involved in tragedies abroad in the days ahead, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. The root cause is the unemployment situation in the state, compelling Keralites to migrate. It’s as simple as that.

Rejimon Kuttappan is a labour migration expert and author of ‘Undocumented’ (Penguin, 2021). The views expressed here are the author’s own and The NewsPorter bears no responsibility for the same