Kerala govt to launch ‘Hamari Malayalam’ textbook to teach migrant labourers

New Delhi: The Kerala government is gearing up to release a textbook to teach Malayalam to migrant labourers.

This initiative of the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority is likely to facilitate nearly 25 lakh workers who relocated from states like Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Titled as 'Hamari Malayalam', the book will be launched by state education minister C Raveendranath, reported the Hindustan Times. 

The book release event will be held at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district, a town which reportedly has the largest number of migrant labour population. Following the launch, the initiative aill further be extended to other districts across the state.

According to the Literacy Mission director PS Sreekala, the book will help the migrant labourers to freely interact with the locals.

"Our core objective is to make migrant labourers competent in reading and writing Malayalam. Many of them can already speak broken Malayalam," Sreekala told PTI.

Even though the migrant workers are playing crucial roles in various sectors, they are left neglected, she added.

She further said, "By teaching them Malayalam, we are aiming to end this social exclusion."

Reportedly, the book 'Hamari Malayalam' consists of 25 chapters that covers topics ranging from hygiene, health and technology to rights of workers and ethical values, said Sreekala.

“Our target is not just make them teach Malayalam but to inculcate among them the basic lessons of sanitation, health and values in a simplified manner. Majority of them are even illiterate in their own mother tongue,” she said.

The venture targets individual above 15 years. The classes will be held in respective colonies, libraries, local schools and other state-run institutions.

“We are planning to identify the panchayats in other districts where most number of migrant labourers are living and extend the programme there also in the coming days,” she added.