No place to sit: Kerala’s much hyped NRI Commission in limbo
- The NRI Commission was formed in March last year.
- The government conveniently forgot the existence of the commission.
- It has no office, staff or a place to meet.
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When a few housemaids from Kerala were subjected to torture by employers in Saudi Arabia recently and sought help to return home, no agency was there to extend help them. The women returned home with the help of some voluntary organisations of expatriates.
When the plight of the women hit the headlines, those who have read about the formation of an NRI Commission in the state were wondering what the quasi-judicial body was doing to help the expatriates in distress.
After the initial hype and the hurried constitution of the commission just ahead of the Assembly Elections last year, the expats haven't much heard of the panel, which is supposed extend help and support to the NRIs from Kerala in disputes, including exploitation in the name of recruitment.
It seems, the government also conveniently forgot the existence of the commission. Without an office or supporting staff, the five-member commission headed by a former High Court Judge is like a phantom now. The commission has no place to sit or to hold meetings. There was a proposal to house it in a floor above the office of the Norka-Roots in Kerala capital. But the plan was shelved later. The apathy of the government is killing yet another initiative for the welfare of the expats.
A quasi-judicial commission to look into the grievances of the expatriates was a longtime demand of NRIs from Kerala. The expats were happy when the government finally announced its decision to form the Commission in November 2015.
The Commission came into being under Non-Resident Indian’s (Keralites) Act 2016. Subsequently, the five-member commission headed by former HC judge P Bhavadasan was set up in March 2016. As per the Act, the Commission has the right to look into all concerns of the diaspora including clashes over properties, investments, and fake recruitment. It was supposed to meet every three months to review and plan its activities. The idea was to address the grievances of NRKs without requiring their physical presence in Kerala.
Besides Justice Bhavadasan, the commission has Soman Baby, a journalist based in the Middle East, Shamsheer Vayalil, Sharjah Indian Association former president Bhagwat Singh and PMA Salam, former chairman of Pravasi Welfare Board.
