MEA’s RTI Reply on Overseas Tamils Sparks Global Advocacy Campaign
Where is the Data on Global Tamil Diaspora? MEA’s RTI Reply Sparks Global Call to Action
CHENNAI / KUWAIT — A recent official response from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, regarding the state-wise census of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) has triggered widespread disappointment and a major diplomatic push among the Gulf Tamil diaspora. The movement, aiming to institutionalize a global database for overseas Tamils, is being spearheaded by A.B. Khalel Ahmed Baaqavee M.A., General Secretary of the Kuwait Tamil Islamic Committee (K-Tic).
The Catalyst: MEA’s Evasive Response
Kuwait is home to over 1.05 million Indian nationals, with the Tamil diaspora estimated at around 150,000. To ensure the precise and effective implementation of welfare schemes, insurance policies, and rehabilitation budgets by the Government of Tamil Nadu's Non-Resident Tamils (NRT) Welfare Board, a formal grievance was logged on the central government’s PG Portal requesting a state-wise demographic breakdown of Indians in Kuwait.
Responding to the query, the Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV) Division of the MEA stated:
"The Embassy regularly collaborates with State Governments on various issues, including pursuing individual cases related to death compensation, labour issues etc. No request has been received from any State Government for statistics of the nature sought in the query."
Administrative Flaw Questioned
The MEA’s justification has drawn sharp criticism from diaspora community leaders. Every Indian migrant worker or professional traveling abroad is legally mandated to register via the Passport Seva database and the e-Migrate portal, both of which strictly capture permanent residential addresses and states of origin.
"The data is already fully available within the Central Government’s digital ecosystem," stated A.B. Khalel Ahmed Baaqavee M.A., "Withholding aggregate, non-sensitive numerical data under the pretext that state governments haven't officially requested it is an administrative evasion of transparent public governance." A formal First Appeal has already been filed against this decision.
Mass Petitions Dispatched to Tamil Nadu Ministers and MLAs
Taking immediate corrective measures, the data discrepancy has been escalated directly to the State Government of Tamil Nadu. Formal petitions have been officially dispatched via email and WhatsApp to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the CM Helpline Desk, the Minister for Non-Resident Tamils Welfare, and all elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) across Treasury and Opposition benches.
Two Crucial Demands Put Forth to the State Government:
- Immediate Intervention with MEA: Since the federal ministry turned the onus onto the states, the Government of Tamil Nadu must immediately issue an official request to the MEA to extract and share the exact passport/e-migrate demographic data of Tamils in Kuwait.
- A Global Census for Non-Resident Tamils: This issue extends far beyond Kuwait. For the NRT Welfare Board to function effectively, the state government requires an accurate, live database of Tamils residing across the USA, Europe, Singapore, Malaysia, and the wider Middle East.
A Global Appeal to the Tamil Diaspora
A.B. Khalel Ahmed Baaqavee M.A., a veteran diaspora leader who has successfully negotiated and resolved complex labor crises, visa bottlenecks, and repatriation issues for overseas Tamils in the past, has called for a unified global movement.
"We urge all international Tamil community organizations, NRI welfare groups, and global overseas wings of Tamil Nadu's political parties to collectively amplify this demand," Baaqavee added.
The ball is now firmly in the court of the Government of Tamil Nadu to initiate official communication with the Ministry of External Affairs, paving the way for data-driven governance that truly protects its citizens abroad.
