India is the largest democratic country in the world. We have freedom for all, literally for anything! We can form groups and sectors on anything and everything. Let it be a political group, religious groups, regional groups, friends’ groups, even terrorist groups! We have seen everything. So what is bothering the Indian Embassy outside the country, which is governed by the Ministry of External Affairs of India? The recent hot topic here is about the de-registration of several Indian associations from the Indian embassy’s official list. Since we are so used to treating democracy back in India as freedom to indulge in anything, it is worth analyzing what is preventing the embassy to allow similar ‘freedom’ to our mushrooming associations here? What is the rationale behind the latest move by the embassy, which is known for being the fountainhead for leading and guiding healthy community activity, to slim down the numbers as well as issuing elaborate guidelines to the associations?

We the expatriates are living here far away from our home. It is true that a majority of them don’t have any relatives here. Majorities are married bachelors - a new term we found only in Kuwait. They are unable to take their family with them for so many reasons and living a bachelor’s life here. In any emergencies, who is there to support them? Here comes one important aspect of various associations. He or She may be the member of one or the other associations. They make friends within the association. It may be from their same State back home, or same language or same religion or social background etc depending on the type of association he is associated with. For an expatriate, this is definitely a solace far away from home. And this externally visible utility of these associations has an underlying concept called socio-cultural cohesion and affinity. They are expected to provide a platform to members and their families to come together to maintain their traditions and social values in a faraway land from home. But what are these associations really up to? How many of these are actually serving their members the way they are supposed to? Is the embassy which has always stood by the Indian community and keeps providing guidance and support without which hundreds of thousands of our less fortunate workers, domestic care givers etc would be facing great hardships, not aware of the cultural needs of the community? We believe that this is an important issue that calls for close scrutiny.

Many of the associations are doing wonderful job for the fellow countrymen. Many are helping others in case of emergencies, even by arranging jobs for the jobless. Many of the death cases in Kuwait where the individuals, who don’t have any relatives here in Kuwait, and met with the unfortunate end to their lives here, some associations are dedicated their whole volunteers to help such cases with the help of the Embassy and official authorities here. We are quite familiar with the untiring efforts of some associations, with the support of the Community Welfare and the Labour wings of the embassy, have been extending incredible help to the people in distress including those unfortunate domestic workers to get justice. The way some associations rose to the occasion during the recent amnesty, working shoulder-to-shoulder with embassy, and sent back home over twenty thousand of those having residency issues, is an outstanding feat! But what about the others?

What purpose are many of the other associations serving – community’s or their own political aspirations? Socio-cultural or narrow personal leadership ambitions? Are they bringing the community together or dividing them on District/Village/Municipality basis? Do we really have to replicate the administrative units in Kerala or Telangana etc here in Kuwait as well? What about the rules and laws of the land? Every country, big or small, has full sovereign rights on their internal and external matters to make sure that the country is safe, stable and secure. Same is the case with Kuwait. Every resident is legally bound to obey the rules and regulations of the country they are living. But are our associations really respecting the sensitivities of the host country which has allowed the Indian expatriates to be the largest and trust us for our respect for law? Doesn’t the Indian embassy, as the official representative of the Government of India, take responsibility for ensuring that the Indian associations in Kuwait act with sense of responsibility?

The usual way of functioning of many associations is that they will have many get-togethers, to add more members to their association to collect fees, conduct some annual functions where they bring celebrity singers or dancers from India, and spend some money on charity to support some deserving cases. If it is the common structure of most associations here, except a few who are formed for a specific purpose, then do we really need these many associations? While some of the associations are giving wonderful support for the community, we cannot ignore that many others which are formed purely for some personal benefits or agendas. It is not uncommon here that if an individual lost the prime position in one association, they form themselves a rebel group within the association and eventually split the association into two. Or in some cases, they form group of people from his own village or panchayat or even the college he studied and form some other association! Are they serving the purpose for the community? In many cases it will become a prestige issue to make their annual event more colorful than the other group. If one group is bringing a famous celebrity from India by paying 5 lakh or 10 lakhs, the other will bring a more famous celebrity by paying 10 or 15 lakh! Is this some business promotion exercise or a Marketing strategy? Can we call this a community welfare or socio-cultural activity? Who is suffering in the end? isn’t it the deserving poor countrymen who is supposed to get the help in the form of charity from these groups?