For migrants from Assam, elections are a matter of life or death

In Kandanthara, Perumbavoor, tea shops, saloons, and mobile service centers were hive of activity despite the sweltering midday heat. The area, also referred to as “mini-Bengal,” is home to a sizable population of migrant laborers, mostly from West Bengal but also from Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Bihar.

The nation’s political situation is a popular subject of conversation among the populace as the election fever rises. Many of them are occupied with arranging their travel and preparing for a vote-casting trip to their hometown.

Mahindra Dev, a tailor at a fabric and needlework store close to the Bengali Colony and a native of Uttar Pradesh, is a huge supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Modi has improved the nation’s standing. While conversing with his clients and acquaintances in his native Bhojpuri, he informs us in Hindi, “Look at our neighbors; Sri Lanka has gone bankrupt and the economy of Pakistan has gone for a toss.”

While conversing with Dev at his business, Shamina Sheikh, a West Bengali native, revealed that she used to be a fervent communist. But over time, my hometown has seen poor performance from the CPM and the Trinamool Congress (TMC). This time, I’m voting for Modi because the BJP pays a set amount into my bank account via the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. When Covid first started, I used to earn Rs 500, but today I get around Rs 2,000,” Shamina explains. Shamina, who has spent over ten years living in Kerala, claims that despite the Left’s poor performance in her area, the CPM has undertaken a number of charity initiatives.

labor migrants.
The small-room discourse turned into a contentious debate regarding the performance of the Modi government.

In Kerala, the Congress and CPM are performing well, according to Israfil Ali of Assam. The BJP has no business opening an account in Kerala or anywhere else. He goes on to explain that there is a serious danger to his hometown of Nagaon, Assam, which is close to China. Ali claims that he must vote in his native state in order to avoid being classified as a “D” voter, or a suspicious or doubtful voter. “I’m taking time off work to go back to my hometown and vote,” he declares. Elections in Assam are held in three parts on April 19, April 26, and May 7. Nagaon votes are held on April 26.

Minarul Shek, a worker at a plywood plant in Murshidabad, West Bengal, is equally thrilled with the state’s LDF government, which is governed by the CPM. In West Bengal, the CPM was a well-known political organization. Since there was corruption under the CPM administration, they are no longer involved. Bengal and Kerala’s CPMs are two entirely separate organizations. Here, the government of the LDF is performing well. The common folks are looked after and supported. Kerala has well-maintained public hospitals, excellent roads, a productive police force, and a top-notch educational system, according to him.

The migrant laborers, meantime, are enthusiastic about Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Kerala. “The BJP has no bearing on this. We have only observed the UDF and the LDF in Kerala. Furthermore, Musthafa of Ranaghat, West Bengal, said that Rahul Gandhi’s campaign from Wayanad would benefit other Congress candidates in winning the election. She also added that Kerala does not discriminate against anybody on the basis of their caste or religion.

Six lakh migrant laborers reside in the Ernakulam district, with around one lakh of them staying in Perumbavoor. According to Anoop, the manager of Western Plywood in Perumbavoor, “roughly 25% of the total migrant population has already left for their hometowns, and others will leave as the election nears.”