Kochi: Cardinal George Alencherry, head of the Syro-Malabar Church, celebrated Easter on March 27 with around 150 migrant laborers and their families.
“Problems exist everywhere, and Christ was born and died for solving such issues. He raised his voice against injustice and there are still people, inspired by him, who fight for justice in society,” the cardinal told people from Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal working in Ernakulam district of Kerala, southern India.
The cardinal urged the migrant laborers in Kerala to demand fair wages from contractors. He also advised them not to waste their earnings on liquor and substance abuse or quarrel with each other. He also said they should provide good education to their children.
Many laborers complained that their contractors forced them to work on Sundays and house owners demand huge rentals. They also face problem in educating their children.
The Easter program was the culmination of a five-day spiritual retreat for migrants organized by the Aluva province of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC). The Easter celebrations were held at FCC Provincial House in Aluva, a town in Kerala.
The cardinal addressed the workers in Hindi initially, but later switched over to Malayalam that was translated by an FCC nun. During his speech, the cardinal sought the views of laborers on Kerala.
The cardinal also cited the services of Sister Rani Maria, who was murdered on February 25, 1995, near Indore, Madhya Pradesh, for standing against landlords who fleeced landless agricultural laborers.
FCC nuns are among several Church groups working among migrant laborers in Kerala. A team of FCC nuns from Bhopal conducted the retreat. The Easter program was led by FCC provincial Sister Anice Vallipadam and assisted by Sisters Rosely John and Little Rose, who work among migrant laborers.
A 2013 survey showed that Kerala had 2.5 million workers from other Indian states, Bangladesh and Nepal. The survey by the Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation noted that an average 630 new migrant workers arrived daily in the southern Indian state. They send out 175 billion rupees annually from the state.
The number of migrant workers in Kerala was almost one-tenth of that of the local population which was about 33 million in 2011.
The number of Keralites working overseas was only 1.6 million in 2013.
The survey also estimated that migrant workers in Kerala would rise to 4.8 million by 2023 despite the decline of migration of Keralites to other countries. By that time, the majority of the local population would be above 40 years. This would lead to further increase of migration from other states.