Curtains will go up on the third edition of the Loka Kerala Sabha (LKS) here on Thursday with a public meeting inaugurated by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will preside over the function planned at the Nishagandhi auditorium at 5 p.m.
The sessions will be held at the Kerala Legislative Assembly complex on Friday and Saturday. The Chief Minister will inaugurate the sessions on Friday morning.
LKS 2022 has, in all, 351 members which include 169 elected members (MLAs and MPs from the State), and 182 non-resident Keralite members selected from a pool of 608 applicants by a screening panel. The latter group consists of 104 members from abroad, 36 from other States, 12 NRKs who have returned to India and 30 'eminent' expatriates, Speaker M. B. Rajesh said on Wednesday.
''Apart from them, individuals known for making outstanding contributions will be present as special invitees. The third edition will have members from 65 countries and 21 States. This year, 21% of the participants are women,'' said Mr. Rajesh.
The LKS, first convened in 2018, is designed, according to the Kerala government, ''as a common platform for Keralites living across the globe.''
Focus areas
Deliberations at the third edition will focus largely on eight topics where NRK roles are possible and seven geographical regions relevant to migration from the State. The eight topics are knowledge economy, NRK investment in the building of a new Kerala, the future of migration and employment, assessment of government-sponsored NRK welfare programmes, challenges faced by NRKs, cultural exchange, women and migration, and problems faced by Keralites in other States. The seven geographical regions are West-Asian countries, other countries in the Asia-Pacific, Europe, countries of north and south America, Africa, other Indian states, and returned migrants.
The Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has promised full cooperation for the event, said the Speaker. Mr. Rajesh said the Chief Minister himself had discussed the matter with Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan. The State Budget had earmarked ₹3 crore for holding the event and ₹1 crore for a global cultural meet. Expenses have been cut as much as possible and funds have been mobilised through sponsorships, Mr. Rajesh and NORKA resident vice-chairman P. Sreeramakrishnan said. The delegates also have been advised to meet travel expenses on their own, they added.
The first two editions of LKS made possible a structured and coordinated response on the part of NRKs during crises such as the flood-related calamities, COVID-19 outbreak and the Ukraine crisis, said Mr. Rajesh. This result has justified the concept of LKS, he added.
The first edition of LKS was held on January 12 and 13, 2018. The second edition was held from January 1 to 3 in 2020.
