ALAPPUZHA: The charitable activities undertaken by Malayalee expatriates are a major relief to the poor and downtrodden and the contributions to society by organisations like Fokana are remarkable, said former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who inaugurated the Kerala convention of the Federation of Kerala Associations in North America (Fokana) at the Lake Palace Resort here.
Association president Thambi Chacko presided over the function. John A Perez, former speaker of US state of Pennsylvania; Adoor MLA Chittayam Gopakumar; Housing Board chairman P Prasad; Fokana Trustees’ Board chairman Georgey Varghese; Kerala convention chairman Paul Karukapally; executive vice-president Joy Ittan and vice-president John Kanattu spoke. Philipose Mar Chrysostom Mar Thoma Valiya Metropolitan and critic M K Sanu were felicitated on the occasion.
Tourism seminar
Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran inaugurated the tourism seminar organised as part of the convention. Thambi Chacko and Sunny Mattamana spoke. P P James inaugurated the media seminar. Harilal, Reji Lukose, Anil Adoor and Johnson Mamalassery spoke. Rajyasabha Deputy chairman P J Kurian inaugurated the valedictory function.
Water Resources Minister Mathew T Thomas,Transport Minister Thomas Chandy, Richard Hey MP and Raju Abraham MLA, journalists--Vinod Mathew (Resident Editor-Kerala), ‘The New Indian Express’, Jacob Thomas and Jose Panachipuram(Manorama) and P M Manoj (Deshabhimani), Fokana’s M Anirudhan, Madhavan Nair and Annie Paul spoke.