Tharoor Inaugurates INTUC-HLL Lifecare Onam Event in Thiruvananthapuram
Synopsis
Congress MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor inaugurated INTUC's Onam celebrations at HLL Lifecare's Cheruvaikkal unit in Thiruvananthapuram, drawing a parallel between King Mahabali's legendary egalitarian reign and the core goals of trade unionism — equal treatment and shared prosperity.
Key Takeaways
Shashi Tharoor inaugurated and addressed the Onam celebrations of the INTUC Employees Union at HLL Lifecare's Cheruvaikkal unit in Thiruvananthapuram on 25 August 2026 .
Tharoor linked the Onam legend of King Mahabali to trade union goals, saying both stand for 'equal treatment of all and shared prosperity.' INTUC (Indian National Trade Union Congress), founded in 1947 , is the Congress-affiliated central trade union federation.
HLL Lifecare Limited is a public sector undertaking under India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare , with manufacturing operations in Kerala.
Tharoor has represented Thiruvananthapuram in Parliament since 2009 , and labour and cultural outreach events are a regular part of his constituency engagement.
At the Cheruvaikkal unit of HLL Lifecare in Thiruvananthapuram, Congress MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor drew a line from mythology straight to the shop floor — arguing on Tuesday, 25 August 2026 that the ideals of Onam and the goals of organised labour are, at their core, the same thing.
Mahabali's promise, the union's mandate
Tharoor inaugurated and addressed the Onam celebrations of the INTUC Employees Union at the HLL Lifecare Cheruvaikkal unit, invoking the legend of King Mahabali — the mythical ruler whose reign Onam commemorates — as a metaphor for what trade unions exist to achieve. 'Labour unions seek the same goals as Mahabali does at Onam — to ensure equal treatment of all and shared prosperity,' he told the gathering.
The parallel is not incidental. Onam's central narrative is one of a golden age under Mahabali, a king said to have presided over a realm of perfect equality and abundance. For workers at a public sector health-manufacturing unit, the resonance is pointed: equal treatment and shared prosperity are precisely the demands that drive collective bargaining.
INTUC, HLL Lifecare, and a constituency connection
INTUC — the Indian National Trade Union Congress — was founded in 1947 and is the trade union federation affiliated with the Indian National Congress. Its presence inside HLL Lifecare Limited, a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with manufacturing operations in Kerala, reflects a longstanding organisational relationship between Congress-aligned unions and central government enterprises in the state.
Tharoor has represented Thiruvananthapuram in Parliament since 2009, and participation in local labour and cultural events is a consistent feature of his constituency outreach. Onam, Kerala's most widely observed harvest festival, gives elected representatives a natural moment to engage workers across sectors during the festival season.
When a sitting MP stands before public sector workers on Onam and frames the union's charter in the language of Mahabali's egalitarian kingdom, the message travels beyond ceremony — it plants the Congress's labour identity squarely in the cultural soil of Kerala.
Point of View
Particularly in Kerala. By framing trade unionism through the Onam narrative of Mahabali's egalitarian kingdom, he deploys cultural idiom as political language — grounding the Congress's worker-welfare identity in something every Keralite already believes in. The move is routine constituency management, but it also signals that INTUC's footprint in public sector units is being tended at the MP level ahead of any future electoral cycle. Whether this translates into tangible policy advocacy for HLL Lifecare workers is the question that follows the symbolism.
NationPress
25 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is INTUC and what is its connection to the Congress party?
INTUC, the Indian National Trade Union Congress, is one of India's largest central trade union federations, founded in 1947 and affiliated with the Indian National Congress party. It organises workers across sectors, including public sector undertakings.
What is HLL Lifecare and where is its Cheruvaikkal unit?
HLL Lifecare Limited is a public sector undertaking under India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Its Cheruvaikkal unit is located in Thiruvananthapuram , Kerala.
What did Shashi Tharoor say at the Onam event?
Tharoor said that 'labour unions seek the same goals as Mahabali does at Onam — to ensure equal treatment of all and shared prosperity,' drawing a parallel between the Onam legend and the core mission of trade unionism.
What is the significance of Onam and King Mahabali?
Onam is Kerala's annual harvest festival commemorating the legendary King Mahabali , whose reign is said to have been a golden age of equality and abundance. The festival is the most widely celebrated cultural event in Kerala.
How long has Shashi Tharoor been the MP from Thiruvananthapuram?
Dr. Shashi Tharoor has represented Thiruvananthapuram in Parliament since 2009 .
