It is homecoming for Niklaus-Samuel Gugger aka Nik Gugger, member of the Swiss Parliament (Nationalrat) in Berne. He is on a three-day visit to Kannur, where he had been brought up till he was four before he was taken to Switzerland by the Swiss couple who adopted him.
CM’s invite
The 49-year-old Swiss MP of EVP (Evangelical Party in Switzerland) has reached the State as an official guest on an invitation by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He is accompanied by his wife and children. During the Chief Minister’s visit to Switzerland in May, they had met at the Swiss Parliament and held discussions on Kerala’s tourism potential among other things. Mr. Gugger had also hosted a lunch for Mr. Vijayan and others in the delegation at the Swiss Parliament.
“Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is the reason why I have this summer holiday with my family at Thalassery,” said Mr. Gugger at a civic reception here on Tuesday.
He said he was back to his “hometown” where he had grown up till he was four. He added that he had a lot of memories about his childhood there because his father, who had been a teacher at the Nettur Technical Training Foundation (NTTF), had captured his childhood days at Thalassery on his movie camera.
The short film was screened at the function. Born at the Basel Mission Hospital at Udupi, he had been brought up as an orphan on what is now the campus of the NTTF at Illikkunnu here. He said he would visit the NTTF campus with his family on July 31.
He told the audience that unlike in Kerala, for politicians in Switzerland it was a part-time job. He is also working for companies in his country. Mr. Gugger recalled his visit to the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) at Bhubaneswar, an institution for tribal children. He said education was important in solving many social ills in the society.
Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan inaugurated the function. Thalassery MLA A.N. Shamseer presided. District Collector T.V. Subhash was among those who spoke.
