By the time dusk settles in Kandanthara, the streets that once smelled of mustard oil and frying beef tripe fall into an uneasy silence. The paratha griddles cool earlier than they used to, shutters clang shut before night can properly begin, and the women who once hurried children home before night are nowhere to be seen. In this tiny migrant settlement on the edges of Perumbavoor in Kerala’s Kochi, known locally as Bhai colony or Bengali colony, fear now permeates the air.
For more than two decades, Kandanthara was a place where men from West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, and Bihar came to work in plywood factories. Perumbavoor’s plywood market, the backbone of the town’s economy, was built by the migrant workers. They also repaired mobile phones, sold SIM cards, ran messes and eateries that drew customers. Away from home, they built their lives inside cramped rooms rented from local Malayalees.
But for more than a month, residents say, the colony has come under a silent, sustained attack, one that has emptied homes, driven out women, and left men nursing bruises they are too afraid to speak about.
What is unfolding in Kandanthara is a brutal campaign by a group of local residents who claim they are waging a “war against drugs and sex work”. They have allegedly abducted and assaulted migrant workers, imposed curfew-like rules, forced shops to shut early, and effectively banished single women and transgender persons from the settlement.
While one assault case has led to arrests, many others remain unregistered. For the migrant community that has powered Perumbavoor’s industries for decades, the message is unmistakable: they may build the town’s economy, but their place in it is conditional and fragile.
Since mid-January, a board was put up in multiple languages, including Malayalam, Hindi, Odia, and Bengali, addressing migrants as “Bhais”. It read: “Notice to the Bhais residing here: No one should enter this area for drugs or pimping. If caught, they will be beaten and sent away. This applies to Malayalees who accompany Bhais. Enter your rooms before 9 pm. With love, residents of Mavinchuvadu.”
Anwar, aka Laalan a 27-year-old, runs a mobile shop in Kandanthara. When TNM visited the shop, he refused to look up from the phone he was repairing, so that the bruises on his face did not show. With a pleading face, he refused to talk to people who came to see him.
On February 8, Laalan was taken by a group of around 20 men, whom residents identify as local Malayalees.
Shahida, who runs a small chicken shop nearby, recalled the night Laalan was taken away.
“That Sunday, around 11 pm, a group of men barged into Laalan’s shop. His mother was there. They were shouting and questioning him, but we could not understand what they were saying. Suddenly they dragged him out, made him sit on a bike and left. Around 3 am he returned, covered in injuries. Some people took him to the hospital,” she said.
Weeks later, injury marks remain visible across Laalan’s face and body. Sitting inside his dimly lit shop, he avoided eye contact as he spoke.
“When I tried to raise my hands to protect myself, they began hitting me on my private parts. At one point, I thought I was going to die. If the police had not come in time, I would not be alive. I don’t want to say anything more. I don’t want to remember,” he said, his voice trailing off. He has since become withdrawn, battling fear and depression.
The FIR registered in the assault case states: “Alleging that Rs 9,000 received in the complainant’s Paytm scanner was money related to some narcotics transaction, about 20 identifiable accused persons unlawfully assembled with the intention and preparation to abduct and physically assault the complainant and Monirul, an employee at the complainant’s shop.”
It further notes: “The accused surrounded them, preventing any escape, and assaulted the complainant by beating and punching him on his face, chest, back, and legs with their hands, causing pain and injuries. One identifiable accused repeatedly beat the complainant on his thigh using an electrical service wire. The accused also assaulted Monirul by slapping him on the cheeks and punching him in the stomach, causing injuries.”
Laalan is one among several migrant workers in Kandanthara who say they have faced attacks since the first week of February.
Rasiya, a long-time resident who runs an eatery, said that this is the first time they are facing such rampant violence. “I have been living in Perumbavoor for the last 20 years. We have no clue why this is happening around us. Day and night, they come in large groups, barge into the area, randomly pick people and assault them,” Rasiya told TNM.
Her modest eatery in Kandanthara, feeds not just those living in the settlement but migrant workers from other parts of Perumbavoor. For years, her family’s kitchen has been a lifeline for men who work long shifts in plywood units and return looking for a hot meal late into the night.
“Ever since the attacks began, the mob has been coming here and telling us to shut down the mess and go back to Bengal. They come early in the evening and force us to close the shop by 8 pm,” Rasiya said.
Residents say that by around 5 pm each day, groups of at least 20 men gather at the entrance of the settlement, alleging that drugs are being sold and sex work is taking place inside. In the weeks that followed, all women living there with their children were driven out. Transgender persons, too, have disappeared from the neighbourhood entirely.
Junaid, another migrant worker, was allegedly assaulted and had his phone smashed by the attackers.
So far, only Laalan’s complaint has resulted in a registered case and a few arrests have been made in connection with his assault. In response, a large protest rally was held in Kandanthara against the arrests. Participants claimed that the police had targeted their men for waging a battle against drugs. They also announced a set of “rules” dictating how migrants should live in the settlement.
“Women should not be allowed here because they turn the streets into red-light areas. All shops must close by 9 pm, otherwise drugs will be sold. We only hit them below the knees,” said Mayinkutty, who admitted to being part of the group that carried out the assaults.
The impact has been immediate and devastating for small business owners like Rasiya.
“We have lost almost all our business. People from outside have stopped coming here to eat. The mob of locals shuts us down by evening. Our business depends on dinner time, that is when workers come after duty. But now customers are being harassed,” said Mamun, Rasiya’s son.
As evening approaches, groups of vigilante men from nearby areas gather near the settlement's entrance, watching who goes in and who comes out, claiming they are preventing drug sales and sex work. Without any official mandate, they question migrants, issue warnings, and announce informal curfews.
The presence of these self-appointed enforcers has led to many workers choosing to remain indoors after dusk to avoid confrontation.
Malayalees living around Kandanthara are divided in their views about the settlement. One section, marked by open suspicion and hostility, has consistently alleged that the area encourages drug dealing and sex work and has led to rising crime. They have repeatedly demanded that the colony be cleared out. Another group, especially families living closest to the settlement, reject these claims and openly support the migrant community.
The settlement’s residents say the hostile group has gained the upper hand now and organised attacks have begun.
“As you can see, my family lives closest to this settlement. I have never faced any issue because of them. On the contrary, they have only been beneficial. We are all highly dependent on them,” said Khader, a local resident.
George Mathew, chairperson of the migrant welfare organisation Progressive Workers Organisation, termed the incidents a planned racial attack and demanded immediate intervention.
“This demand for eviction is similar to bulldozer raj. There are clear Supreme Court directions against such actions,” he alleged.
“Kerala has already seen five migrant workers become victims of mob lynching. Even minors were reportedly involved in the attack on Laalan. If the police had not intervened in time, he could have become another victim,” he added.