Onam thanksgiving for migrants

August 24, 2012

onamKasargod, August 24: At a time when people from the northeast have been fleeing cities like Pune, Bangalore and Chennai fearing reprisal over violence against Muslims in Assam, the Kerala government has taken a reassuring decision to thank migrants in a unique way, coinciding with the festival of Onam.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has directed the state's labour department to distribute on Saturday what he calls an "Onam Kit" for free to every migrant worker, containing various food articles, in a gesture not just to assure them they were safe in his state, but also to thank them for their contributions.

"All migrants are our brothers and sisters. We have given a clear message that every migrant worker is safe in Kerala. We have also not allowed miscreants or anti-social element to create trouble for these people," Chandy said.

"Kerala needs their services in agriculture, construction, tourism, hotels and IT. So, as a gesture of goodwill, we have decided we will distribute Onam kits to all of them on Sturday. It will have everything for a good meal like rice, oil and sugar," Chandy told IANS here.

The move also comes just ahead of a global conclave called "Emerging Kerala" to be hosted in Kochi next month by the government to showcase the state as an investment destination with much potential during which officials want to remove the wrong perception about labour issues.

According to the chief minister, each Onam kit will cost the state exchequer around Rs.150 since the articles are being bought in bulk. Otherwise, it can cost around Rs.225-Rs.250 in the open market. Around Rs.10 crore has been already sanctioned for the scheme, which can serve 800,000 people.

Onam is Kerala's main festival, celebrated by all communities, marking the triumph of Lord Vishnu, who took the form of a short Brahmin, Vamana, to tame the ego and might of king Mahabali, who was otherwise loved by his subjects. Onam marks the yearly sojourn of Mahabali to the state.

Going beyond the Onam kit, Chief Minister Chandy said he has also asked the labour department to examine how the migrant workers to Kerala can also be given access to welfare schemes that are otherwise available to ordinary residents.

He said officers of the labour department are also being periodically sent to inspect the living conditions of migrant labourers, whom Kerala sees as important contributors to the state's growth and prosperity.

"During these inspections, there were some complaints like rooms are very small, the sanitation is poor, quality of food is not good and things like that on living conditions. We have taken action wherever required and these people are very happy," Chandy said.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
February 17,2020

Kasaragod, Feb 17: A Kerala Muslim couple conducted the wedding of their Hindu foster daughter at a Bhagavathi temple in Kerala, scripting another tale of communal harmony at Kasaragod.

The wedding ceremony was held on Sunday.

The woman Rajeshwari tied the knot with Vishnu Prasad in the presence of family and friends belonging to both Hindu and Muslim communities.

Abdulla and Khadeeja adopted Rajeshwari after her father who worked at Abdulla's farm died. Rajeshwari's mother also passed away when she was a child.

Rajeshwari grew up alongside Abdulla and Khadeeja's three sons- Shameem, Najeeb and Shereef.

Earlier in January this year, cutting across the lines of religion, a mosque in Kerala's Kayamkulam hosted a Hindu marriage ceremony.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
March 28,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 28: A case has been registered against an Infosys employee in Bengaluru for a shocking social media post urging people to "go out and sneeze" and spread the highly contagious COVID-19 virus that has infected over 800 people across the country and claimed 19 lives.

"Let's join hands, go out and sneeze with open mouth in public. Spread the virus," the man wrote on Facebook.
"A case has been registered against the person. Further investigation on. Looking forward to get adequate support from your end during investigation," Sandeep Patil, Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime, Bengaluru city tweeted by tagging along a tweet by Infosys.
Taking congnisance of the post by its employee, the Infosys said the post was "against the code of conduct and its commitment to responsible social sharing".
"Infosys has completed its investigation on the social media post by one of its employees and we believe that this is not a case of mistaken identity," the company said in a statement on Twitter.
"The social media post by the employee is against Infosys' code of conduct and its commitment to responsible social sharing. Infosys has a zero tolerance policy towards such acts and has accordingly, terminated the services of the employee," the statement added.

Earlier this month, the IT firm had vacated one of its buildings in Bengaluru after an employee was suspected to be infected.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
coastaldigest.com news network
May 24,2020

Mangaluru, May 24: Muslims across coastal Karnataka today observed Eid Al-Fitr by offering Eid prayers at home instead of mosques and Eidgahs.

For the first time the cities of Mangaluru and Udupi wore a deserted look on the day of Eid. Strict implementation of the lockdown was seen in the both cities. All vehicles except those transporting essentials remained off the roads.

Following the orders of orders of the deputy commissioners of the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi and guidance of religious scholars and Qadhis, Muslims preferred not to venture out of homes on the day of Eid. The 36 hours of complete lockdown which came into force yesterday at 7 p.m. will relaxed tomorrow morning at 7 a.m.

The Eidgah at Light House Hill area of the city and other prominent mosques, where thousands used to gather to offer namaz during festivals, were empty today.

Photos of simple Eid celebrations were share on social media to keep the spirit of festival alive in times of pandemic.

This time Muslims in the region had also decided not to buy any new clothes for Eid. Campaigns were run in the moth of Ramadan to encourage the Muslims to donate the amount of new clothes to the needy instead.

Throughout the month of Ramadan Muslim organisations were distributing food among the stranded migrant labourers in the region.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.