Malayalam actor Naslan K. Gafoor was recently mocked at an event in Kerala for sporting a ‘Bengali’ look. And no, he was not wearing a dhuti-panjabi.
The actor, according to many from the southern state, had to face the remark because he opted for a minimalistic look — chappals, loose beige trousers and a casual yellow shirt — synonymous with migrant workers employed in the unorganised sector in Kerala.
While Naslan handled the situation with grace, a video of the incident has sparked a debate, with many claiming that the word ‘Bengali’ is often used in Kerala as a slur for unskilled migrant workers.
“Unfortunately in Kerala, people wrongly use Bengali as a blanket term for all migrant workers – often in a dismissive way,” the content creator who shared Naslan’s video wrote in the comments section of his post, which was flooded with reactions from Bengal within hours.
While this came as a shocker for many, it has been a topic of debate on platforms like Reddit for several years now.
A Reddit user lamented the use of the word Bengali as a slur in some southern states about two years ago. The replies to his post corroborated the usage in Kerala and some foreign nations, like Singapore and the Middle East, as well.
At least 13 lakh of Kerala’s 30 lakh-odd immigrant workers are from West Bengal, according to a 2021 report by the state planning board titled A Study in In-Migration, Informal Employment and Urbanisation in Kerala. A large number of these workers live in Ernakulam district, as per the report.
A higher wage rate in the unorganised sector and better job opportunities have led to a rise in migrant workforce from Bengal in Kerala in the past decade or so, according to a report by Institute of Development Studies Kolkata (IDSK).
But the rise in the population of Bengali migrant workers has also led to insults and derogatory remarks, say West Bengal residents living in Kerala.
“I am a Bengali living in Kerala. The insults I have been facing from my childhood, even today. I wonder why I have to be insulted for my culture,” said Bristy Biswas in a comment on the viral video of Naslan.
The revelation has left many heartbroken, with some claiming they were unaware of the trend in Kerala and often took the term Bengali as a compliment instead.
Some poked fun at the irony. "Are the Bengalis of Kerala the Biharis of Bengal?" asked an Instagram user.
The development comes days after the West Bengal Assembly held a discussion on the alleged harassment and targeting of Bengali-speaking migrants in different parts of the country.