Migrants in fear over Kozhikode assault video, CM Pinarayi Vijayan blames efforts from north

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

A video purportedly showing a migrant worker being beaten to death by his employer has reportedly triggered panic among migrant workers in Kozhikode, leading several of them to leave for home. As the video was being circulated on social media, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said efforts originating from north India were behind the move to show the state in poor light.

The video clip, which was being circulated for the last two days, purportedly showed a man from West Bengal, who was employed in a hotel, being beaten to death by the hotel owner. Subsequently, workers employed in hotels started leaving the north Kerala city of Kozhikode.

Kozhikode District Hotel and Restaurants Association president T V Muhammed Suhail said that a false campaign had led to workers returning to their homes. “Hundreds of workers have quit Kozhikode in the last few days and already two hotels have had to be closed. Seeing messages in WhatsApp and Facebook groups, families are putting pressure on the workers to return at the earliest. We have complained to the police in this regard,’’ he said.

Vijayan said there was a concerted attempt from north India to insult Kerala and destroy the harmony in the state. “There is a campaign on social media that migrant workers are being attacked. The forces, which want to destroy the peaceful atmosphere prevailing in the state, are behind this false propaganda.’’

The CM said Kerala has always taken care of its migrant workers by introducing several welfare measures. “People of Kerala look at migrant workers as their brothers. There is an ulterior motive behind the false propaganda that migrant workers were attacked. There was not a single incident of migrant workers being attacked in the state in the recent past.”