9th Pravasi Bharathi Day Celebrations - 2011 will be held in Trivandrum on 9th, 10th and 11th January, 2011. Inaugural function will be held at Gandhi Park, East Fort, Trivandrum on 9th
January at 6 PM Minsters, MLAs, Party leaders and social leaders will take part in the function.
Valedictory function will be held at Symphony Hall, Mascot Hotel, Trivandrum on 11th, January.
NRIs, businessmen, educationalists, cine artists and political leaders will be honoured in the function by the Chief Guest, most probably His Excellency Governor of Kerala Sri.R.S.Gavai or Sri.P.D.P Acharya, the Secretary General of Lok Sabha. Kindly see the brochures attached.
The prominent Award winners for the year 2011 are Sri. V.S.Achuthanandan, Chief Minister of Kerala, Sri. Jacob Punnoose, DGPof Kerala, Capt. Krishnan Nair, Chairman , Leela Group of Hotels, Leaders of FOKANA, USA and several NRIs from different parts of the world. Jnanapeedam Award winner Sri. O.N.V.Kurup will be honoured in the Valedictory function.
9th, January was declared as “Pravasi Bharathiya Diwas” by the Vajpayee Government in 2002, to honour Non-Resident Indians residing all over the world for their outstanding contribution for the welfare of our society. Every year on this day prominent NRIs are honoured with Pravasi Bharathiya Smman Awards by the President of India, in the colorful function held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. In Kerala also Pravasi Bharathi Day Celebrations are held every year since 2003 to honour prominent Keralite NRIs and other political and social leaders. The celebrations in Kerala are organized under the auspices of Pravasi Bharathi News Bulletin, the first Non-Resident Magazine published from Trivandrum, Pravasi Bharathiya Forum and NRI Co-Ordination Council, Kerala since last seven years. Pravasi Bharathi Forum and NRI Co-Ordination Council are NRI organizations which look after the problems of Keralite NRIs working abroad. A regional committee comprising of local social and political leaders is also formed to organize the celebrations.
We also do several charity activities during the Pravasi Bharathi Day Celebration. We have already distributed more than 100 sewing machines to poor gulf returnees for self employment. We have distributed financial assistance to ailing gulf returnees and to poor students for their educational purpose.
The flow of educated and skilled labour from Kerala towards the Middle East and other countries started nearly five decades ago. The inflow of foreign currency to our country has helped a lot to improve the economic situation of the nation, especially the state of Kerala. There are millions of Keralites working abroad in different countries in the world, especially in the Middle East. The employment opportunities in the gulf has been a big relief to the severe unemployment problem in Kerala, with thousands of skilled labourers and professionals like Engineers, Doctors and Nurses, getting jobs in the Middle East.
Some of the youth with little education and technical knowledge from our state migrated to USA and Middle East and they have excelled in their fields and became successful entrepreneurs, who can be good models for the unemployed, educated youth of Kerala. Such hardworking people became millionaires in a short span of around two decades or less. During the last Pravasi Bharathi Day Celebrations in the previous years, we have encouraged such individuals with Pravasi Bharathiya Awards. They are little known in our society. Our Celebrations have brought out their stories of hard work and achievements to the public. Some of the individuals whom we have encouraged are Dr. Galfar Muhammed Ali, Sri. P.N.C Menon (Chairman, Sobha Developers), Sri. G.Sugathan (Indroyal), K.Muralidharan (Chairman, SFC Group, Abu Dhabi), Sri. Kris Gopalakrishnan(CEO, Infosys) etc.
We have honoured several political leaders also during the Pravasi Bharathi Day Celebrations in Kerala. In the year 2003, the first Pravasi Bharathi Kerala Award was presented to the former Chief Minister of Kerala Sri.E.K.Nayanar, for his outstanding contributions for the overall development of Kerala. In 2004 the award was given to Sri. M.M. Hassan. In the following years present State Ministers Sri. C. Divakaran and Sri. N. K. Premachandran also received awards form us. In 2007 former state minister and RSP State General Secretary Sri.K.Pankajakshan was honoured with Award. In 2008 former union Minister Sri. O. Rajagopal and in 2009 G.Karthikeyan (former minister) received Pravasi Bharathi Awards from us.
In 2003, 2004 and 2005 the Celebrations were held in Trivandrum. In 2003, former Chief Secretary Dr. Babu Paul IAS and Senior most freedom fighter and well known Gandhian Sri. Jubba Ramakrishna Pillai inaugurated the function and distributed awards. In 2004, former Minister of State for Defence Sri. O. Rajagopal inaugurated the function and distributed awards. In 2005, former UN Ambassador Sri. T. P. Sreenivasan inaugurated the celebrations and distributed the awards. In 2006 the Pravasi Bharathi Celebrations were held in Ernakulam and Dr. Sebastian Paul M.P. inaugurated the function and distributed awards. In 2007 the Celebrations were held in Kannur and State Civil Supplies Minister Sri. C. Divakaran and Freedom Fighter Sri K. E. Mammen were the Chief guests who inaugurated the function and distributed awards. In 2008, the sixth Pravasi Bharathi Day Celebrations were held in Kozhikode and Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Sri K. Venkatapathy inaugurated the function and distributed awards for NRIs and other dignitaries. In 2009, the Celebrations were held in Trivandrum.
Pravasi Bharathi News Bulletin is an NRI Magazine Published from Trivandrum, since 2004, with 15,000 copies, out of which around 5,000 copies are sent to overseas including USA, Middle East, Europe and Australia. This Magazine is distributed among Central Ministers from Kerala, State Ministers, MPs, MLAs, NRIs, Gulf Returnees, Businessmen in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Pravasi Bharathi News Bulletin has always taken initiative to present the problems of the NRIs and Gulf Returnees before the Central and State Governments . It has also brought the success stories of several NRIs to the readers. Mr. S. Ahmed is the Chief Editor of Pravasi Bharathi News Bulletin.
Pravasi Bharathiya Forum is an NRI based platform, where Non-Resident Indians from different parts of the world come together to express their opinion in the social, economic and cultural aspects. Kadakkal Ramesh is the Convener for this Forum.
Regional committees are formed while conducting the Pravasi Bharathi Day Celebrations in a particular town. Prominent Personalities in the area are included in the committee for successfully conducting the Pravasi Bharathi Day Celebrations. MPs, MLAs, Mayor, Social leaders and businessman are also included in the committee. Support from different government organizations, nationalized banks and private business firms has always been very helpful for the success of Pravasi Bharathi Day Celebrations in the previous years.
We have honoured several prominent personalities from tourism, health, education, cultural and other areas also. Sri. Baby Mathew of Somatheeram, Sri. Gokulam Gopalan, Dr. Sahadulla of KIMS Hospital, Mr. K. Muraleedharan of SFC, Abu Dhabi, Dr. Asokan of SP Fort Hospital, Dr. S. A. Raja of Tamil Nadu, Mr.E.M.Najeeb, MD, ATE Group, Smt. Lekha Sreenivasan (wife of former Ambassador Sri. T.P. Sreenivasan), Smt. Latha Namboothiri of Kristal Group etc are some of the important personalities among them.
We honoured spiritual leaders like Lekshmi Behan of Brhmakumaris, Calicut in 2008 and Matha Amritanda Mayi and Bishop Mar Mathew Arackal of Kanjirappally Diocese in 2009.We honour personalities from IT sector also. Sri. Kris Gopalakrishnan, CEO and MD of Infosys was honoured with Pravasi Bharathi Kerala awards in 2008. In 2009 Sri. N.Jehangir, Managing Director of NEST group was honoured with award from the IT sector. Prominent NRI Businessmen Sri. Vijayan Thomas and Anil Nambiar of Surya TV were also honoured with Pravasi Bharathi award in 2008.
Ours is the only organization in Kerala, which celebrates Pravasi Bharathiya Diwas every year, since 2003. In 2009 the inaugural function was inaugurated by former Chief Minister of Kerala, Sri.Oommen Chandy at Gandhi Park, Trivandrum. Matha Amritanada Mayi, Dr.K.Radhakrishnan (Present Chairman, ISRO), N.Jahangir(MD NEST Group), Varghese Moolan (Saudi Arabi), Sabu Kurian(London), George Kakkanatt(USA), Tom George Kolath(USA) were some of the prominent personalities who received awards from us last year.
In the year 2010, 8th Pravasi Bharathi Day celebrations were held in Trivandrum on 9th, 10th and 11th January, 2010. The inaugural function was held on 9th January at Gandhi Park, East Fort, Trivandrum, which was inaugurated by Hon. Minister for Law & Youth Affairs, Sri.M.Vijayakumar. Justice D. Sreedevi, Chirperson of Women’s Commission was the Chief Guest of the day. Adv.P.Ramachandran Nair (District Secretary, CPI), Sri.T.Sarathchandra Prasad Ex MLA, Sri. S.Sivankutty (District President, BJP) were the other dignitaries present on the occasion. Six students from Chathannoor Govt. Higher Secondary school, Paravoor Sri Narayana Higher Secondary School and Kalady Boys Govt. Higher secondary school who won first prize in the Balachalachitrotsavam organized by Govt. of Kerala was honoured in the function and were given mementos by Justice D. Sreedevi.
The valedictory function was held on 11th January, 2010 at Mascot Hotel, Trivandrum in which several NRIs from different parts of the world were honoured with Pravasi Bharathi (Kerala) Awards. Several political , social and cultural leaders and business were also honoured in the function. His highness Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma was the Chief Guest. Sri. V.Surendran Pillai MLA, Sri.E.M.Najeeb (MD, ATE Group), Sri.N.Balagopal (Chairman, KEDES), Sri.Noushad Punnathala (President, Kollam Pravasi Sangham, Dubai) were also present at the function.
Pravasi Bharathi (Kerala) Awards were distributed by His Highness Uthradaom Thirunal Marthanda Varma Maharaja. In 2010 the prominent award winners were Sri.Oommen Chandy (Former chief minister of Kerala), Sri. M.V.Sreyams Kumar MLA, Sri.Shahal S.Musaliyar (President, TKM Group, Kollam), Sri.A.Younus Kunju Ex MLA (Chairman, Younus College of Engineering, Kollam), Sri.T.K.Govindan Master (Chairman, Pariyaram Medical Colege), Col.D.Jayapaul, Smt.Geethu Mohandas, Sri.Madathil Raghu, Dr.B.Govindan (Chairman, Bhima Group), Kumari Asna Aslam, Sri.T.S.Kalyanaraman (Chairman, kalian Group), Sri.P.C.Pillai (MD, KSFE), Sri.Saji Basheer (MD, SIDCO), Sri.C.R.G.Nair, (Priyadarshini, Dubai), Sri.V.S.Abdul Karim,( MD, Creative Group), Sri.Chaithram Mohan (Dubai), Fousiya Younus, Dr.C.A.Raman (Somatheeram Resort) and Sri.K.Rajagopal (Dubai).
Kumari Asna Aslam, who is blind by birth was given financial assistance for treatment by Sri.T.S.Kalayanaraman and Sri.Younus Kunju in the function. Sri.Kalyanaraman offered One Lakh Rupees for the expenses for her eye operation. The valedictory function was well attended by several prominent persons from different walks of the society.
By honouring leaders of global organizations like FOKANA, World Malayalee Council, Global Malayalee Council, United German Malayalee Association, Manchester Malayalee Association in UK and other Gulf based organizations with Awards, we have attained world appreciation also. The government and the public appreciate our initiative for encouraging the NRIs from Kerala, who play a vital role in the economic development of our state. We are always grateful to the government and private agencies, who have supported us during these years for successfully conducting the Pravasi Bharathi Day Celebrations in Kerala.
For more details:
Kadakkal Ramesh
Chief Co-ordinator
Pravasi Bharathi Day Celebrations - 2011
Mob:0091 9387801535, 9092348490
Email: kadakkalramesh@gmail.com
Skype: kadakkalramesh
