Gulf Migration, Remittances and Religion: Interplay of faith and prosperity among Syrian Christians in Kerala
Christians, including the Syrian Christians of Kerala, constitute 18.6 per cent of the population of Kerala accounting for 6 million people. Of them the Syrian Christians—one of the oldest Christian sects in the world—comprise nearly 3 million. Syrian Christians of Kerala are defined as persons born to Syrian Christian parents and who follow the ‘Syrian rite’. The Syrian Christians comprise different denominations like: Syro-Malabar, Malankara Catholics, Jacobites, Orthodox Syrian Church, Marthomites, Caldhaites, Cannanites and Protestant Syrians. Earlier, the community was concentrated in and around five or six districts of Kerala. But, with the high rate of education, occupational diversification, few local job opportunities in the community, Syrian Christians have migrated to other states in India and abroad.