# Tharoor flags World Bank report on conservative values in Kerala Saudi returnees 2026-08-24T12:52:36+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday flagged a 2022 World Bank study that found migrants returning from Saudi Arabia to Kerala tend to exhibit "conservative values", including "gender-based violence" and "extremist attitudes" on physical violence towards women. Tharoor called the findings "disturbing" and said they require "serious introspection and internal discussion" within the Muslim community. Tharoor noted that the findings contrast with Kerala's "liberal, progressive practice of Islam" and its record of educating Muslim girls. He later clarified he was not seeking any action but was drawing attention to the issue. The study compared returnees from Saudi Arabia to those returning from other Gulf countries and those with no migration experience. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Kerala receives the largest share of remittances from the Gulf among Indian states, with Saudi Arabia a major destination. The 2022 World Bank paper, one of few to study social rather than economic impacts of Gulf migration, found attitudes toward gender-based violence among Saudi returnees were more conservative by three standard deviations compared to non-migrants. The state government has not commented on the study. With over 2 million Keralites in the Gulf, the findings could influence community discussions on social norms and integration policies. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Straight reporting of Tharoor's remarks and study findings without editorial slant This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Gulf migration, Kerala, Saudi Arabia, Shashi Tharoor, World Bank Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/tharoor-flags-world-bank-report-on-conservative-values-in-kerala-saudi-returnees/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/tharoor-flags-world-bank-report-on-conservative-values-in-kerala-saudi-returnees/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/