THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Opposition UDF has opened a new front against the Left government for neglecting the state's expatriates. Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala staged a dawn-to-dusk fast in front of the Secretariat to protest against the central and state governments over their attitude to expats.
Coming down heavily on the Left government for its double standards, Chennithala urged the government to immediately withdraw its order saying that pravasis cannot be treated like guest workers. The government is not interested in bringing back expats and is deliberately creating hurdles, he alleged.
"First, the LDF government made Covid 19 certificate mandatory for expats. Now a directive has been issued saying that they cannot be treated like guest workers. This kind of discrimination is irresponsible and cruel. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should stop his inhuman treatment of expatriates," he said, adding that the UDF will continue to fight the step-motherly treatment meted out by the state government to expats.
While Gulf countries have been providing humanitarian aid to expatriates who work there, the Kerala government has shut the door on them, Chennithala claimed. During the floods that ravaged Kerala, expatriates based in Gulf countries had rendered liberal help to the state. And now when they are caught in a crisis, the Chief Minister is turning a deaf ear to them, he alleged.
“The number of flights under the Vande Bharat Mission is very few. Despite knowing that it is impossible for the majority of expatriates to get a COVID-19 certificate before boarding a flight, the government has deliberately come up with such conditions as they don’t want expats to return,” said Chennithala.
Inaugurating the fast, KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran said the remittances sent by expatriates, especially those who work in Gulf, are the life-blood of the state. By refusing to help expatriates in their hour of need, the LDF government stands exposed. IUML leader MK Muneer who presided over the meet, said while the government initially claimed to have arranged facilities for quarantining two lakh people, it later had to swallow its own words.