As a thank you to the workers who put their blood, sweat and tears into making Kochi Metro a reality for us, 400 labourers were treated to a traditional Kerala sadhya
Words: Vandana Devi Images: Various Sources
PM Modi will be coming to the city to inaugurate the Kochi Metro on June 17 and everyone is excited about travelling on it. Even more excited were the labourers who worked on the Kochi Metro, who were treated to a grand sadhya.
As a token of appreciation for their hard work, the KMRL officials organised a traditional Kerala sadhya with cultural programs at SS Kalamandir, TD Road. Bollywood music sung by two singers arranged by the event-management firm filled the backgrounds, and a message board outside was signed by all them.
Around 400 migrant workers were invited for the sadya. The labourers, most of whom are from Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu, migrated to the state to make a better livelihood. They break their backs working on 12-hour shifts and keep aside each penny to send home to their parents, siblings, wife and children. A thing to be noted is that that these migrant labourers did not strike work for even a single day during the 4 years of construction.
The monsoons have brought them some respite from the heat and most of them can’t wait to go back to their homes and loved ones. But Kochi’s greenery makes the daily toil bearable, some of them claim. Whatever the fact maybe, it was a welcome change from the usual for these workers who have put in their blood, sweat and tears to make Kochi Metro a reality for us.