The non-resident Keralites (NRKs) have great expectations from the newly-formed LDF government because Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had taken the pains to understand the issues NRKs face by traveling all over the world and interacting with them. We are happy to know that he will be handling the NRK department, too. Finance Minister Dr Thomas Isaac is an authority on matters related to the Indian diaspora, especially the NRKs. This is a right combination and we expect a lot from them.
There are three million NRKs which is about 10 per cent of the state’s population. They have so far remitted Rs 4 lakh crore to the state out of which less than 10 per cent has been spent on productive areas. The governments never made an attempt to do so, either. The Last year’s remittances were over '70,000 crore. It is estimated that 60 per cent of this remittance is in sizes less than Rs 25,000 and the rest is by the rich.
The state government should take necessary steps to channelise at least 20 per cent of the remittances to development purposes. China had made great strides in development by utilising the economic and technological resources, skills and business contacts of the Chinese diaspora. This should be the pattern Kerala, too, should follow.
The NRK focus today, sadly, is on home construction, extravagant marriages, fancy motor vehicles, jewelry and textiles and a lavish life style. The dependents back home hardly think about the travails of their breadwinners in the Gulf. As a result, most returnees from the lower, middle and upper middle income segment are in debt; only 5 per cent have some financial resources.
I have been trying to educate NRKs on saving, thrift and the habit of regular investment for a happy retired life and it has had its impact, though on a small scale. The government, through NORKA, can make a larger impact. The biggest contradiction that has recently emerged is that the State has become a ‘Gulf’ for workers from outside the state. There were reports that the remittances to the other states by migrant labourers in Kerala was over Rs 27,000 crore last year.
The work these labourers do in Kerala and most NRKs do are almost similar in nature. It is high time that the government take steps to propagate the dignity of labour at home, too. This should be introduced in the school curriculum. The state faces acute shortage of funds for infrastructure development.
The new government should come up with projects in which NRKs as well as residents should be able to take part. The state government can form separate entities for mobilising funds for various sectors such as infrastructure or industrial sectors such as tourism. The only condition will be that there should be reasonable, assured returns. The government should design such projects and campaign actively among the NRKs to get maximum participation.
Kerala is a beautiful place with its rivers, lakes, mountains, forests, snow-falling areas, coffee, tea and cardamom gardens. It has diversified art, culture, and an amazing variety in wild life. But we hardly use them to attract tourists. The government should appoint a professional agency to identify tourism opportunities across the State.
It should also provide land, infrastructure and take equity participation in ventures in which NRKs can participate. It will generate lot of economic growth and job opportunities, too. Keralites are reputed for their achievements in the academic and medical fields outside India. The government can use their expertise and transform the state as a hub for quality education to attract foreign nationals the way Singapore and Dubai do.
Thousands of foreign students are studying in these cities. The government can encourage Kerala as a medical tourism destination, given that we have proven strength in modern medicine, Ayuveda, Unani, marma and sidha treatments. It’s sad that very little value addition happens to Kerala products as we export most of them in raw or semi-raw form like coconut as copra and rubber as sheets. The government should promote industries for value addition to our products. The NRKs will be more than willing to join hands with the government on such fronts. We should look at exports of agro products, too.
The Central government has extended national pension scheme to NRIs. Not many NRKs have availed this for lack of knowledge. The state government should either promote the scheme among them or start one on its own. Cost of air travel is a burning issue of NRKs as all the airlines exploit them to the hilt. The government should intervene in the issue and as the centre has sought suggestions on it, the state government should suggest a maximum fare the companies can charge to fly to and from Kerala destinations.
Keralites have an ability to absorb technology, but we never made an attempt to enhance the skill of our people. Now that the Kerala government has launched Naipunya and the Centre has come out with Skill India, we should train our youth in technology before we send them abroad. The population all over the world is ageing but India is a land of youngsters and this offers us an opportunity to sell our skills.
The government should take steps to use the expertise of NRKs who have global exposure to train Kerala’s youth. This is the way to enhance the profile of our job-seekers. We also demand the government ensure the safety and security of NRKs homes in Kerala. It should also heed the long-pending demand of the NRKs for the reservation of 5 percent of seats to their children in the educational institutions with normal fee structure. The government has an opportunity to join hands with the NRK community and usher in an era of prosperity for Kerala. I am sure the government will seize it.
(The writer is chairman, Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates)
