Keralites have spread out to various parts of the world and many more are still moving to different areas and spheres of activity. It is important that they be accommodated by the locals. So should be the case of the people from other States who settle in Kerala. It is the duty of the linguistic and religious majority to protect the minority, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said here on Friday.
Inaugurating the CMS College of Engineering and Technology at Kumittipathy near here, Mr. Chidambaram said it was the golden rule that should be followed by every country.Referring to the three lakh Malayali population in Coimbatore, he said, “It is the duty of the Tamil-speaking population to protect the Malayalis in Tamil Nadu and the Malayalam-speaking population to protect the Tamils in Kerala. Same should be the case with religious minorities too.”
“The United States forgot this rule 100 years ago and that was what led to the Civil War. They realised it later and after the struggle of Martin Luther King the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1963. As a result, the U.S. has elected a black man as a President after 46 years,” the Minister said.
Speaking on the important characteristics of migration, he said migrants should show loyalty to the place where they have set up roots. “It is not enough if they are loyal to their birthplace alone”. Terming the Keralites as the “one of the most adventurous groups among Indians”, Mr. Chidambaram said they were the first to settle in any other part of the country or abroad.
This marked the enterprising spirit of the Keralites. “The Malayali diaspora has enriched whichever society it has attached itself to. They have excelled in education, law, and every other area”.
With special reference to the contribution of the Keralites to education, the Minister said they had served the cause of education with great distinction. Addressing the first-year students, he told them that nothing was more important than education.“That is the only thing that will remain with you throughout your life”, he said.
Minister for Rural Industries and Animal Husbandry Pongalur N. Palanisamy, Member of Thondamuthur Legislative Assembly M.N. Kandasamy, Chairman of CMS Trust M.P. Gopalakrishnan, and Secretary of CMS Trust C.K.V. Nambiar, felicitated, besides others.
