The autopsy report of Ramnarayan – a 31-year-old Dalit construction worker from Chhattisgarh – lists over 80 injuries. His ribs were broken, his spine fractured, and medical examiners noted there was “no part of his body without injuries.” Beaten to death by a mob at Walayar on the mere suspicion of theft, after having been mistaken for a Bangladeshi national, his killing is not just a crime. It is a visceral exposure of the dark prejudices that can fester even in a state proud of its progressive legacy.In the wake of national outrage, Ramnarayan’s mutilated body has finally been sent home to his grieving family in Chhattisgarh. Following the family’s demands for Rs 25 lakh compensation, there was an assurance from the government of at least Rs 10 lakh – a necessary but grievously belated acknowledgment of the life stolen. This administrative action, however, cannot be the end of the reckoning his death demands.Ramnarayan had been in Kerala for only a few days. He came, like millions before him, seeking a livelihood. His death holds up a dark mirror to a society whose economic and social history has been fundamentally shaped by the very same pursuit of work and dignity.Few regions embody the migration story as fully as Kerala. Today, the success of Malayali migrants is a global testament. Nurses, teachers, creative professionals, and skilled workers in the oil and gas sector from Kerala are recipients of coveted ‘golden visas’ and residency honours in the UAE. Industrialist Dr. Ravi Pillai was granted Bahraini nationality. P.N.C. Menon of Sobha Group received Omani citizenship. Business magnate M.A. Yusufali has been bestowed with top civil awards in the UAE. Countless other Malayalis serve with distinction, many possessing UAE nationality – a recent example being a karate champion awarded a passport for his contributions. These host nations actively recognise and reward migrant labour and talent.It is against this profound backdrop that the xenophobic slurs shouted during the attack on Ramnarayan feel especially catastrophic. Kerala today relies heavily on an estimated 3.5 million workers from other Indian states, even as it justly celebrates the honours heaped upon its own sons and daughters abroad. This dual reality ought to have cultivated deep empathy and replicative dignity. Instead, in some pockets, we see a brutal moral failure.Notably, Malayali migrants’ welfare abroad is a matter of persistent diplomatic and political priority for Kerala. Within Kerala, however, the narrative around inter-state migrants is often poisoned by suspicion. This is compounded by a systemic failure: guest workers are frequently exploited by local ‘labour supply’ middlemen, housed in subhuman accommodations, and denied reliable transport. They are reduced to cheap, disposable labour, stripped of the very dignity Kerala expects for its own expatriates. Meanwhile, casual racism festers – mocking ethnic slurs like ‘Pandi’ or ‘Bengali’ are commonplace, dehumanising individuals and creating a climate where violence becomes possible.The government’s response has included swift arrests – seven accused are now in custody, amid allegations from the CPI(M) that several have BJP-RSS links. This is a charge the BJP rejects – and an ongoing probe by a Special Investigation Team is now probing the case. Yet this is necessary but insufficient. True accountability requires a transformative shift mirroring the recognition Kerala’s diaspora receives. A state that rightly fights for its NRIs must now formally honour its domestic migrant workforce. It is time to institute annual state awards for exemplary inter-state labourers, launch a ‘Golden Working Card’ system that guarantees dignified working conditions, access to welfare, and strict regulation of labour contractors. The government must mandate and monitor proper accommodation and transport, breaking the exploitative middleman nexus.Kerala’s high literacy rate has long been a marker of social progress. Yet, this incident proves that literacy alone cannot combat deep-seated prejudice. The moment calls for a broader civic education – one that actively teaches respect for labour and pluralism.Ramnarayan was, in every meaningful sense, a migrant like any Malayali who ever left home. That he was Dalit, poor, and spoke a different language made him exponentially more vulnerable. His death is our collective moral reckoning. How Kerala responds beyond compensation – whether it fundamentally reforms labour protections and actively dismantles the culture of prejudice and exploitation – will define its soul.In an era of mobility, selective empathy is a failure of civilisation. The challenge before Kerala is to ensure that the dignity, recognition, and safety it fiercely seeks for its people abroad is extended, without exception, to the Ramnarayans within its borders. His broken spine must be the breaking point for our conscience, and the foundation for a more just, inclusive Kerala.Dr. K.T. Abdurabb is a Gulf-based writer and social commentator.This piece was first published on The India Cable – a premium newsletter from The Wire – and has been updated and republished here. To subscribe to The India Cable, click here.