Somalia comparison is unfair, says Gujarati community

KOCHI: Gujaratis, who have been residing in the state for a long time, said that it is unfair to compare the condition of scheduled tribes in Kerala with Somalia. “We have read that Somalia is troubled by piracy, poverty and hunger. But this is not true about Kerala. People here are happy and prosperous and one barely hears of anyone going to sleep here hungry because of poverty,“ said Shri Ernakulam Gujarati Mahajan president Shrenik Shah.
The community members said that they have seen in Kerala that a person can survive with little money unlike Gujarat.“In Gujarat, there are lot of industries and job opportunities. In Kerala people are educated but there is not enough jobs and the youth are forced to move out for a job.But we see no reason to compare the state with Somalia,“ said Ghoghari Visa Srimali Jain Gnati treasurer Vasantrai Vadalia. At an election rally on Sunday, PM Narendra Modi had said that the IMR among ST in Kerala is worse than Somalia. Modi cited me dia reports to highlight the Peravoor incident where children were seen foraging for food in a garbage dump to say that there were governance issues here.
Modi's statement has provoked protests and it has become a political issue, with CM Oommen Chandy demanding an apology. There are some Gujaratis who agree that it is unfair to compare Kerala and Somalia. They feel the issue is being politicized. “The statement got much attention due to polls. There is more of politics at play here,“ said Shri Dasha Sorathia Vanik Gnyati president Chandrakant Jasapria.
“This is a political statement and it is unfortunate that it is being blown out of proportion,“ said Shri Ernakulam Gujarati Jain Samaj vice-president Harish Mehta.