Abu Dhabi: A senior minister from south Indian state of Kerala will inaugurate the UAE chapter of Malayalam Mission, a state government initiative to promote Malayalam language among the Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs).
A.K Balan, Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, Law, Culture and Parliamentary Affairs, will inaugurate the chapter at 7pm Wednesday at the Indian Consulate Hall in Dubai.
“We have invited all organisations [of NRKs] in the UAE to the event,” the Minister told Gulf News in an interview in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday evening.
He said the units of the mission would gradually be established in all emirates of the UAE.
Suja Susan George, director of Malayalam Mission, told Gulf News that an ad hoc committee to take care of the activities in the UAE would be announced at the inaugural event. “We are discussing the formation of a 15-member committee for the UAE. However, we have not finalised it,” she said.
The director said many NRK organisations are already teaching Malayalam in the UAE. “Therefore it will be easy for the UAE chapter to take such activities forward,” George said.
Balan and eight Members of [Kerala] Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are visiting the UAE after an official visit to the UK. The Minister had inaugurated the UK chapter of the Mission in London. “Keralites in the UK are excited about promoting their mother tongue,” he said.
The minister and MLAs interacted with the community members at the Indian Social and Cultural Centre (ISC) in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday evening.
They heard their grievances and assured to offer timely solutions. Joy Thomas John, President of the ISC; and M.A Salam, General Secretary of the ISC welcomed the delegation.
Dinesh Kumar, first secretary and community welfare counsellor at the Indian Embassy, said of an estimated 2.8 million Indians in the UAE, more than a million are NRKs and the delegation could do many thigs to address their grievances.
Jayachandran Nair, vice president of the ISC, who moderated the question and answer session between the community members and the delegation, said the organisers selected the questions that could be addressed by the minister and the MLAs within their powers.
More than 20 community members raised their grievances and the minister and MLAs noted down everything and assured timely solutions.
