A clothing company based out of Kannur district in Kerala that makes and supplies uniforms for Israeli police forces has decided to cut business ties with the Jewish State following the bombing of Al Ahli Arab Hospital in the centre of Gaza City that killed over 500 people, mainly children.
Maryan Apparel Private Limited has been producing around 100,000 uniforms a year – shirts and trousers – for the Israeli police force since 2015.
After Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, the company received an additional order for 50,000 units. Its workers are all women. They have been working overtime to finish the order.
But now the company director Thomas Olickal said that the attack on the hospital was very disturbing. “The hospital attack really disturbed us. Children, women, and the common people are dying. They’re refusing food, electricity, and hospital treatment. Nobody can accept this. Fighting with two armies is OK, but killing common people is unacceptable. It is a moral decision,” he was quoted by The National.
The company headquarters are in Mumbai. The uniform-making unit has been functioning in Kannur since 2008. It also makes uniforms for the National Guard and Fire Service of Kuwait, Qatar Air Force, Aramco of Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines.
