Rebuilding Kerala

After the devastation caused by incessant rains and flood waters, Kerala is gearing up to clear the debris and rebuild everything that was ravaged by the waters — homes, roads, bridges, and railway networks. That requires not just crores of rupees but lakhs of hands and tonnes of equipment and machinery. Getting the financial resources, equipment and machinery is not the most difficult part. But getting people with the right skills could be a challenge. The State needs people with skills to repair, refurbish, rehabilitate as well as build anew. For several decades now, many of these jobs have been done by migrant workers as Malayalee men had too many inhibitions about getting their hands dirty in the home State but were happy to do the same work in the West Asian nations, sometimes for lower pay. Many more migrant workers would be required in the coming months and many will come happily, the language barrier notwithstanding, as the State pays the highest minimum wages for many tasks. And, they would be warmly welcomed by the people of the State.

Kerala is however facing a crisis of epic proportions and it is time for Malayalee workers to change their attitude about toiling in the land they call home. There are thousands of individuals across the State who have worked for several years in West Asia. Many returned home in the last few years as Gulf economies slowed, hurt by the crash of oil prices. A significant proportion of these people worked in the construction sector and possess skills most needed in the State now. They also have exposure to newer practices in construction.

Yet, many of these individuals may not want to join the labour-force in Kerala, partly due to their inhibitions about taking up work in the State and partly due to the role of militant trade unions. Therefore, the CPI(M)-led State government and the trade unions need to act as a catalyst to change the work culture in the State, for the sake of the State.

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