War Anxiety Reverberates In Remote Kerala Villages: Fear-Mongering Adds To Tensions, Say Expats

Political unrest in any part of the Arab world reverberates even in the remotest villages of Kerala. For decades, West Asia has been woven into the lives of countless households in the state. So when Iran was attacked by the United States and Israel, and Tehran retaliated—reportedly targeting US military posts in Gulf countries—the shock waves were felt across Kerala.

“If the war situation continues, I am not sure what will happen. Will it force all our people to return home?” wondered Muhammad in Malappuram, anxiety writ large on his face. His son and several relatives work in Gulf countries, and, like many families in the district, his family survives on the remittances they send back.

“On Saturday, it was very bad. I woke up in the morning to the roaring sound of an aircraft. Since I knew the airport was closed, I couldn’t fathom it at first. But when I stepped onto the balcony, I could see warplanes flying at a distance,” said Nisha Retnama, a writer currently in Sharjah.

She said that in the United Arab Emirates, life remains largely normal so far, with people going about their usual routines.

However, residents in Kuwait, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, with whom Outlook spoke, described feeling tremors when Iran targeted US military bases in the region.

Back home in Kerala, families with relatives in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, and other parts of the Gulf are anxiously awaiting constant updates from their loved ones. “Even when they say there is nothing to worry about, sitting at home and watching news channels creates extreme anxiety,” said Padmani in Kannur.

But according to Nisha Retnama, there is no panic, at least in her part of Sharjah. The UAE is widely regarded as one of the safest places to live, and authorities are keen to prevent panic. “However, the authorities have asked residents to be prepared for any eventuality. We have been instructed to keep a bag ready with essential items in case intensified attacks force an evacuation. Strict measures are also being taken against the spread of fake news,” she said, adding that television channels back home are creating more panic than the situation on the ground.

According to a statement made in Parliament in 2025, there are 96 lakh Indians in West Asia. According to various estimates, around 35 lakh Malayalees live in various Gulf countries.  Though Malayalees have migrated to nearly 100 countries worldwide, nearly 80 per cent of Kerala’s expatriates are based in the Gulf region.

Kerala accounts for a significant share of India’s total remittance inflows—19.7 per cent—placing it second nationally, just behind Maharashtra (20.5 per cent).  A major portion of these remittances comes from the Gulf countries.

Although remittances from the Gulf have shown signs of decline due to shifts in migration patterns and diversification to other destinations, the region still constitutes the largest share of Kerala’s overseas income. Migration from Kerala to the GCC has dropped from 89.2 per cent in 2018 to 80.5 per cent in 2023, according to the Kerala Migration Survey 2023, indicating gradual but notable changes in the state’s migration landscape.

K T Noushad, a businessman who has been living in Bahrain for the past two decades, is currently in Shanghai on a business trip. “I left Bahrain a day before the war began,” he said. “My apartment in Hidd is located close to US Naval camps. The impact of the attacks was so intense that windows of my home were shattering. Mobile alerts and sirens made it difficult to sleep at night.  Noushad’s accounts make it clear that at least for people living near the US camps, refinery and ministerial buildings, the anxiety level is high. “ They are waking up hearing the sounds of missiles, or drones” he tells.

He added that there were fears that debris from intercepted missiles could fall into residential areas. “I strictly told my children not to step out,” he said. With restrictions on air traffic, he is uncertain when he will be able to return to Bahrain.

According to Noushad, anxiety levels are high among residents, especially those living near US bases. “Even in my company, many employees are not coming to work. I have not compelled anyone to report to the work site,” he said, describing the tense atmosphere prevailing in the area.

But for many others living in Bahrain, life has largely continued as usual. Some offices have advised employees to work from home as a precaution, said P V Radhakrishna Pillai, president of the Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam.

According to him, since the attacks from Iran have been intercepted efficiently, no major security issues have arisen so far. “These are targeted attacks and interceptions. The authorities are instilling confidence among citizens. As of now, no one is contemplating any plan to return home,” he said. He also pointed out that the frenzy created by television channels in Kerala is adding to the anxiety and creating further trouble.

There are around three lakh Malayalees currently living in Bahrain.

Basheer Vallikkunnu, a political and social commentator based in Jeddah, said the situation there and in other major cities of Saudi Arabia remains normal.

Basheer Vallikkunnu, a political and social commentator based in Jeddah, said the situation there and in other major cities of Saudi Arabia remains normal.

“Earlier too, the Houthis used to carry out attacks on several places. As in those instances, Saudi forces are intercepting the attacks from Iran. Life here, so far, is normal,” he said.

However, he pointed out that the uncertainty has disrupted travel plans. “People usually plan a lot of travel during Ramadan. But owing to the uncertainties and air traffic restrictions, many have cancelled their plans,” he added.

Air India has announced that it will resume flight operations from Muscat starting Tuesday, with services to New Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Kozhikode and Tiruchirappalli.

Whenever political uncertainty grips the region, memories of Iraqi invasion of Kuwait are inevitably invoked. In 1990, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, the Indian government carried out one of the largest evacuation exercises in history, airlifting around 1,70,000 people, many of them Malayalees.

“But the current situation is not akin to that,” said Dr Jino Zacharias Oomen, an expert in migration studies and international affairs. “There is a certain degree of fear-mongering by the media. How the situation will unfold cannot be predicted. But as of now, it is not comparable to what happened during the Kuwait invasion.”

He added that the Gulf would continue to remain the principal migration destination for Malayalees in the near future. “The rate of migration to the Gulf countries has come down not because of geopolitical tensions, but because new migration corridors have opened up elsewhere,” he said.

Though expatriates hope the present tensions will not snowball into a major crisis affecting their lives, anxiety and unease are palpable in their words. Any prolonged instability in the region would not only disrupt the lives of those working there, but also deeply impact families back home who depend on them.