‘Governments in India ignore expats’
Malayali expats protect their families and state’s economy: Achuthanandan
About 80 per cent of expatriates from the South Indian state of Kerala are low- and mid-level employees but their grievances are always ignored by India’s central and state governments, a senior political leader said here on Friday evening.
“This has to be changed. I urge the central and state governments to address their problems,” said V.S. Achuthanandan, former Kerala chief minister, present chairman of the state administrative reforms commission and veteran Communist leader.
The nonagenarian leader, one of the founding fathers of the Communist Party of India — Marxist (CPM), was addressing an event organised by Pravasi Bharathi, a Malayalam radio station based in the capital.
He said Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) were not only protecting their families but the economy of the state also. “I have noticed during election time, they take more interest in day-to-day political developments than people back home.”
He highlighted the fact that a privately owned Indian radio station was allotted 200-kilowatt transmission capacity by the UAE government. “… Whereas I understand that privately owned radio stations in India are allotted just five kilowatt [transmission capacity] only.”
About the current media scene, Achuthanandan said, there was criticism that globalisation [neo-liberal economic policies] has influenced the media.
“This criticism is not baseless. Media often ignores problems of the common people,” the leader told a packed audience at National Theatre in Abu Dhabi.
The popular leader, who often courts controversy by criticising his own party leadership, did not touch any political developments back home in his speech.
V.T. Balaram, a Congress lawmaker from Kerala, also addressed the event that celebrated the first anniversary of the radio station. Chandrasenan, director of the station, M.A. Yousuf Ali, managing director of Lulu Group, also spoke on the occasion.
During his two-day visit, Achuthanandan also addressed a gathering at Kerala Social Centre in the capital on Saturday afternoon.
CPM leader