Pothikkettu is a monthly editorial that ‘wraps up’ the issue for our readers. This issue includes an analysis of the recently tabled Kerala Budget, and a deeply personal story of a migrant woman’s relationship with their children, family, and home.
Dear reader,
Kerala’s 2025-26 state budget, presented by Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal on February 7, signals a shift towards long-term investments aimed at boosting economic growth. Despite Kerala’s strong performance in human development, the government faces persistent challenges in employment generation and capital formation. The budget acknowledges critical issues such as urbanisation, climate change, migration, and growing inequality, but its heavy focus on large-scale infrastructure projects raises concerns about addressing the state’s socio-economic challenges in a balanced and sustainable way (see Alex Thomas’s article on K.N Raj). With the state grappling with a high fiscal deficit, rising public debt, and reduced central government allocations, the budget prioritises expensive infrastructure over welfare, potentially sidelining marginalized communities. In their detailed analysis of the budget, Ayana Krishna D, Sangeetha Kethapaka and Shraddha Jain dive into these issues by analyzing its fiscal context, questioning its priorities, and highlighting key areas—such as welfare for vulnerable groups and climate resilience—that have been overlooked in the pursuit of visible, politically advantageous projects.
Ayana, Sangeetha and Shraddha bring the reader’s attention to a specific area of ambiguity within the budget speech when the minister stated: “All migration will not be encouraged”. The authors note that Kerala remains a significant supplier of women caregivers to other countries. This idea—of a migrant caregiver—is something that the other article in the issue by Aleena Felix explored at depth, using the personal story of Ancy, a mother who migrated to Italy for work. Aleena explores the emotional and gendered experiences of migrant women, particularly mothers, from Kerala, who leave behind their families to seek better economic opportunities abroad. She highlights the often overlooked and complex narratives of sacrifice, resilience, and longing that shape the lives of migrant women. Ancy’s story, which she shared through her diary entries and poems, reveals the emotional weight of being separated from her children and the profound struggles of motherhood across borders. Felix draws attention to the ways in which Ancy, like many migrant women, navigates the pressures of cultural expectations, societal judgment, and the pain of physical and emotional distance from her family. Aleena’s article is a timely reminder of the importance of understanding migration, as Mohamed Shafeeq has reminded us before, through the everyday stories of those who travel, and away from the tired stories of economic and social mobility alone.
Together, we are happy to bring you two articles this issue that explore concerns around economy, justice and mobility both from a governance perspective in the budget piece, and from a highly personalized perspective, through Ancy’s story. We encourage the reader to read these articles alongside our other pieces on migration and governance.
Until next month,
The Editors.
