Kochi: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday urged Keralites to treat the migrant labourers better. "There are 40 lakh migrants in the state and we should change our perspective towards them," he said while inaugurating a literacy programme for them, initiated by Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority (KSLMA). "Many consider them just as outcasts or criminals. It is a violation of human rights,” he said.
Nearly 75 percent of their population in Kerala are estimated to be aged between 18 and 29. While a majority can speak Hindi, they cannot read and write. "We have a responsibility to ensure their safety and make them literate. Many are living with families here. We should let their children study with our kids. Migrants chose Kerala for a number of reasons," he said.
The KSLMA would teach them Malayalam and Hindi, besides topics related to health, law and environment. Awareness sessions on Kerala’s social and cultural life are also part of the programme, also designed to bring about a qualitative change in the attitude of Malayalis towards the migrant labourers, a press release said. Perumbavoor MLA Eldhose Kunnappilly presided over the meeting attended by V.P. Sajeendran MLA, KSLMA director P. S. Sreekala, Perumbavoor municipal chairperson Sathi Jayakrishnan and others.
