A reflection on the past two Loka Kerala Sabhas

The people of the state started crossing the oceans several decades ago. Today, Keralites are working in every corner of the world, including the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. But it’s migration to the Gulf, after the discovery of oil, that has changed the face of the state. This migration wasn’t an entirely new phenomenon. Kerala enjoyed excellent relations with the Gulf states long before the discovery of oil, and this relation was centred on trade, as Arabs travelled to Kerala on dhows to buy spices and wood and other essential commodities.

The migration to the Gulf accelerated in the 1970s. In the past few decades, foreign exchange remittances from Keralites working in the Gulf have been the main fuel for the state’s economy. Around 65 per cent of Keralites working abroad are working in the Gulf countries - in unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled sectors across the six Gulf countries. Compared to NRIs working in Western countries, Indians in the Gulf are more attached to their motherland because they don’t get citizenship there unlike Indians in Western countries. This means NRKs in the Gulf are dependent on the Government of Kerala for their welfare and social security when they return to the state.

It was a unique assembly and a first of its kind conference to be held in a state that can be emulated by other states. Many discussions were held and decisions taken at the first Loka Kerala Sabha.

The government of Kerala, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has initiated several programmes for the welfare of NRKs. The Lok Kerala Sabha (LKS) is an important initiative in this regard as it brings together Keralites spread across the world on a single platform to meet, interact and share ideas for their welfare and participation in governance. The first Lok Kerala Sabha was held in January 2018, which was hailed as a historic convergence of people and ideas. The meeting discussed the problems and concerns of Malayali migrants and explored possibilities and discussed solutions. The first LKS was a huge success on many fronts. Keralites from all continents such as Asia, Africa, America, Europe and Australia met and exchanged their thoughts and ideas.

It was a historical forum for select members of the Malayali diaspora along with 140 members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and all Parliament Members (MPs) from the state. The meeting was held in the Assembly Complex under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, with the Opposition leader as the Vice-Chairman and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly as the moderator and they listened to all pravasis assembled there.

It was a unique assembly and a first of its kind conference to be held in a state that can be emulated by other states. Many discussions were held and decisions taken at the first Loka Kerala Sabha. Seven standing committees were formed on various subjects and this writer was the chairman of a committee on Qualitative Migration, which was formed to study migration, its future, concerns and challenges and submit suggestions and proposals to the government to improve the condition of migrants. The government has accepted many suggestions from the seven committees and started implementing them, one after the other, on a priority basis. In 2018 and 2019, Kerala was fatally affected by natural disasters such as floods and landslides which destroyed our ecosystem and resulted in the disruption of the implementation of many ambitious development programmes. But the Malayali diaspora stood solidly behind the Chief Minister and contributed massively through various platforms for the reconstruction of the affected areas and rehabilitation of victims.

However, during the pandemic years, NORKA Department, NORKA Roots, and Kerala Pravasi Welfare Board joined hands for the first time in two decades of their history to provide exemplary and remarkable support to expatriates affected by the pandemic in various parts of the world, under the guidance of the Chief Minister.

Despite adverse circumstances, the second Loka Kerala Sabha was convened in January 2020 and the member representations increased to 65 countries. The deliberations started by reviewing the decisions taken at the first Sabha, its implementation, and the follow-up process. A major issue discussed at this meeting was, how to improve our higher education system as the nature and quality of migration were changing, with new opportunities for migration getting more focused on the digital and information technology sector. It was highlighted that our candidates needed special skills to get jobs in these sectors and compete with candidates from other countries. Currently, Keralites wishing to migrate are facing so many challenges. Unfortunately, after the second LKS, our activities were hampered by COVID-19 which crippled the world from March 2020. However, during the pandemic years, NORKA Department, NORKA Roots, and Kerala Pravasi Welfare Board joined hands for the first time in two decades of their history to provide exemplary and remarkable support to expatriates affected by the pandemic in various parts of the world, under the guidance of the Chief Minister. It was an operation of unprecedented proportions, carried out for the first time because we haven’t faced a similar situation before. We worked for the well-being and rehabilitation of Pravasi returnees and helped those who wanted to return to their workplaces.

Further, NORKA Roots enhanced its involvement in the recruitment to various countries to eliminate corruption and prevent the exploitation of job aspirants by middlemen and thus protect the rights of both employees and employers. NORKA Roots has especially been successful in its mission of cleaning up the recruitment process in the healthcare sector, especially because this is one sector where middlemen were exploiting hapless healthcare workers, especially nurses. With all these constructive programs, every pravasi has enjoyed the protection and care of NORKA Roots and Kerala Pravasi Welfare Board, functioning under the government for the past five years. Today, NORKA has become an inevitable part of every Pravasi’s life, regardless of their location, and whether they are working abroad or have settled back in the state. We will never rest on the laurels of our success and will continue to work hard for the welfare of Pravasi. NORKA has several projects and schemes awaiting implementation including medical insurance coverage. Currently, NORKA Roots is providing financial support to low-income group Pravasi returnees and their families directly for prolonged treatment.