“It looks like we are too few in number to be taken seriously. Hence our problems are not being addressed,” says Sajid Khatai, president of the Kashmiri Traders Welfare Association in Kochi, speaking on behalf of the 750-odd Kashmiris in the State in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He is surprised that the government of Kerala, which has set a precedent of welfare in treating migrant workers and facilitating their return to their respective States, should overlook the plight of the Kashmiri community in the State. Since the lockdown and its extension, community leaders have been petitioning the government to arrange for the travel of workers from Kashmir back, by train.

The Kashmiri community in the State mainly retails handicrafts and runs stores in the tourist spots of Kochi, Thiruvanathapuram, Kumily, and Alappuzha. They employ a large number of workers, mainly young men, from Kashmir, who are currently unemployed and wish to return home.

“We took our petition to the Chief Minister’s office in Thiruvananthapuram and, in Kochi, we presented our case to District Collector S. Suhas, but we have not yet received a response.”

The lockdown preceded by a weak tourist season has made their businesses unviable.

“For one month, our association arranged for free ration for the members, but we are absolutely without funds to continue. Besides, we cannot pay salaries and rents, as there has been no business and no income.”

Another major issue facing the community, according to Mr. Khatai, is rampant depression due to isolation and homesickness.

“Most of our workers are young boys and live in around 40 ‘messes’ in and around Fort Kochi. This isolation is playing havoc with their minds. The desperation may lead to something worse. Now that the government is sending migrant workers back, they should consider our plea,” he said.