KOCHI: With the onset of tourism season which falls on September, Fort Kochi will be busy entertaining tourists who arrive to the cultural hub in search of leisure and aesthetic beauty. Simultaneouly, labourers from other parts of the state make inroads to the city in search of better job opportunities. While tourists enjoy the streets, places, and food, these laborers try to make a livelihood out of it.
Hotels, homestays and restaurants hire these labourers and make use of their low cost services. However, the season spans only for three months which force employers to hire them on a contract or daily basis. With most being daily wage employees, employers are hardly interested in the whereabouts of these labourers. This puts police, Corporation and tourism officials in a precarious situation since employees become hesitant to let out details of the workers who comprise majorly of inter and intrastate migrant laborer’s.
“Every year, there are a lot of new people coming to the city in search of jobs. New faces can be seen everywhere at hotels, homestays, and lodges. Sometimes they act as tour guides also,” says Ajay, a certified tourist guide in Fort Kochi. The anonymity of the labourers pose a potential threat to the security and sustainability of the area. Most of the migrants remain invisible to the eyes of the legal system.