Launched in 2017, the Loka Kerala Sabha offers Non-Resident Keralites a platform to engage with the government, voice concerns, and contribute to policymaking from within India and abroad
Published May 20, 2025 | 5:35 PM ⚊ Updated May 20, 2025 | 5:35 PM
Loka Kerala Sabha for NRI Keralites held at Thiruvananthapuram from 16-18 June, 2022. (Twitter/KeralaGovernor)
Synopsis: In a big nod to Kerala’s diaspora engagement model, the Union Ministry of External Affairs is considering replicating the Loka Kerala Sabha (LKS) framework in other states with large migrant communities. On 13 May, MEA Joint Secretary Angan Banerjee formally sought details from Kerala Chief Secretary A Jayathilak on the LKS’s structure and recent activities to explore its wider adoption
In a notable endorsement of Kerala’s diaspora outreach strategy, the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is exploring the possibility of implementing the state’s Loka Kerala Sabha (LKS) model across other Indian states with significant migrant populations.
The MEA has formally approached the Kerala government seeking detailed information about the structure and recent activities of the LKS. In a letter dated 13 May, Joint Secretary Angan Banerjee requested Chief Secretary A Jayathilak to provide a comprehensive brief on the initiative.
This move follows a recommendation from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, which in its April 2025 report lauded the LKS as a pioneering platform for diaspora engagement.
The committee described the initiative as “progressive” and urged the Centre to assess the feasibility of replicating it in other states to empower migrant communities.
Launched in 2017, the Loka Kerala Sabha serves as a unique forum where Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) — both from abroad and from other Indian states — can interact with the government, raise concerns, and participate in policymaking discussions.
“Given that state governments play a pivotal role in addressing migrant issues, such initiatives empower the diaspora to shape policies impacting their lives,” the parliamentary panel observed.
Officials from the Department for Non Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) noted that the Centre’s interest in adopting the LKS model represents national recognition of Kerala’s proactive approach to diaspora affairs.
They expressed hope that the move could eventually lead to a structured, nationwide framework connecting state governments with their respective migrant populations.
(Edited by Ananya Rao with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
