Here, families postpone Gulf tours for polls

KOZHIKODE: The election heat in Vadakara has affected the vacation tour plans of the families of the NRIs in Nadapuram and Kuttiady areas in the district. Many of those who have booked the tickets for the Gulf tour have either cancelled the tickets or postponed the tour heeding to the requests of political parties.
A message titled ‘To NRI families with love’ is doing the rounds in social media asking them to go for tour after the election.
“April and May are the season for many families in the areas to join their relatives in the Gulf. They pack their bags soon after the school examinations are over in March. But, this time we have asked them to wait till April 23,” said Ashraf Parambath, the leader of the Nadapuram mandalam unit of the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC), the feeder organization of the IUML, in Dubai.
“Last year around 1,500 people had booked tickets for their tour to the Gulf from Nadapuram and Kuttiday areas. This year it could be more. But many have changed their travel plans because the election in Vadakara is so crucial for them,” he said.
Ashraf said as many as 20 people from his family have cancelled their tickets. “Those in the Gulf will be rushing to Kerala in the coming days to get engaged in the elections. So, we also asked the families to stay back to cast their votes,” he added.
Ashraf, an active worker of the IUML, said he will be coming to Nadapuram within a few days. “I will be the booth agent of the UDF in my village. The election fever has gripped the NRIs as well,” he said.