KOLLAM: Long duration of work hours, substance abuse and lack of wage, political representation, expectation from society, and administrative intervention are some of the major issues faced by the immigrant labourers in Kerala, stated Carlton Fernandez, a psychologist who has worked for migrant labourers for the last 10 years in Kerala.
He was speaking at the seminar "Empowerment of the Citizen through Legal Awareness and Outreach," organised by the District Legal Service Authority at the NSS College, Kollam.
He told the TNIE that the main issues that migrant workers face are work exploitation and social stigma. "Most of the migrant workers are exploited by their contractors because most of them are unaware of their basic rights. Since the majority of them come from extremely low-income families, they will never approach legal authorities. Furthermore, a stigma tied to migrant workers is prevalent throughout India. Drug use is always very high among them. However, as we communicate with them more, we will learn about their mental health issues'', Carlton said.
Meanwhile, migrant workers believe that legal services and their costs are still out of their reach. According to Rahul V I, a Kollam-based human rights lawyer, migrant workers believe the legal system is out of their league. However, apart from the language barrier, culture shock is a major issue for them, especially in states like Kerala.
"Our society is hostile to migrant workers. Furthermore, our public institutions are also biased against them. The Legal Services Authority is an organisation that provides free legal aid to the underprivileged. Workers must be aware of their fundamental rights. The majority of workers were unaware that the Legal Services Authority existed, and various schemes have been developed for their benefit. That's why we need to go among the workers and educate them,'' Rahul explained.
While migrant workers asserted that exploitation is still happening and will continue in the future. ''If something bad happens to me, I can't go to the police station. The police are always rude and cruel to us. Besides, since we cannot communicate in Malayalam, we aren't able to seek assistance from others. I have financial issues back home, so I have to work hard and think about my rights," said Mujabhir Rehman, a migrant worker from West Bengal.