Bengaluru: Kerala, the first Indian state to be declared fully literate in 1991, is launching a literacy campaign next month to educate its growing migrant population.

The state—globally acclaimed as a model of social welfare—depends inordinately on an estimated 2.5 million migrants from Uttar Pradesh to Assam, to get most menial jobs done, a 2013 study by its labour department showed.

Every fourth male between the ages of 20 and 64 in Kerala today is likely to be a migrant. But they risk facing alienation or subliminal hostility, after incidents such as the Jisha murder case which led to the arrest of a migrant worker from Assam.

Also Read: Kerala to keep track of migrant labourers in the state after Jisha case

The new campaign aims at making the state more inclusive. It includes Malayalam coaching classes and modules to create awareness of everything from its laws to labour rights.

It will help the migrants to network more and integrate better with the rest of the state, S.M. Vijayanand, Kerala’s chief secretary, said by phone.

“Acclimatization is very important. That is what we are aiming. We are also looking to provide them certain incentives to join the classes," he said.

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