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ഫൊക്കാന കണ്‍വന്‍ഷന്‍: വാഷിങ്ങ്ടന്റെ ആവശ്യം ന്യായമെന്ന് സണ്ണി വൈക്ലിഫ്

Published on 10 June, 2012
ഫൊക്കാന കണ്‍വന്‍ഷന്‍: വാഷിങ്ങ്ടന്റെ ആവശ്യം ന്യായമെന്ന് സണ്ണി വൈക്ലിഫ്

I read the emaayalee.com news this morning.  We know Mariamma Pillai for over 3 decades and she deserves all the praises and not character assassination by people who are ignorant of facts.

It will be a great service to the community and FOKANA if we all agree to respect each other and not to slander names or character assassinations.  After 1992, Washington waited 22 long years plus 4 more years believing the promises given to Washington by our leaders.

I wish to state a few facts to emalayalee readers and others about why Washington, DC should be chosen as the 2014 FOKANA conventiion.

I believe that all the FOKANA patriarchs may have very short memories. You may all remember that after Florida Convention, next to chance to hold a convention is Washington.  Due to the election problem, and some sort of urgency, the next convention was held in Pheladelphia,  Paul Karukappallil as President. Next convention also did not come to Washington due to some internal jacking. Again, the convention was denied to Washington, and given to Houston, even though the president was comparatively a NEW Person to FOKANA.

Washington DID NOT MAKE ANY FUSS ABOUT THAT.  After the New York convention, most of them including the current president G K Pillai, Dr Anirudhan, Dr Manmadhan Nair, Mathew Kokura, Paul Karukapallil, Thampy Chacko, T S Chacko, I Varghese, Dr Mammen Jacob, Dr Parthasarathy Pillai, Mariamma Pillai  Shibu John, George Korath and many others promised to hold the 2014 convention in Washington DC after the Houston convention. 

This was expressed at the National Committee which I also attended in New York.  Paul Karukapalli assumed the presidency for the past two consecutive conventions in Philadelphia and New York after making adjustments and he did a great job, in that !   The committee agreed to support G K Pillai to take the convention to Houston as its president. We believe in open and fair negotiations and/or election and not back door dirty politics.  

Now why this change or politics at the last moment by certain individuals? It is high time that our leaders keep their promises. Washingotn will support Mariamma Pillai to be the FIRST LADY President of FOKANA in 2016, and to have the convention in Chicago. This may unite FOKANA rather than whirling around people and the area.

Washington had its conventioin with Dr Parthasarathy Pillai as the  president and I was the convention coordinator in1990-1992.  During that period we have done some of the following:

1.  First Indian American National Youth Leadership conference was held at Catholic University in 1991( 3 Days)
 
2. First time for youths, White House Briefing, Embassy of India Briefing, Washington, DC sight seeing
 
3. FOKANA's Bhashakkorudollar was inaugurated in 1992 convention by the large number of Literary luminaries from Kerala including N R S Babu, O N V Kurup, MT vasudevan Nair, SugathaKumari, Vishnunarayanan Namboodiri, George Kakanadan, K M Roy, and several others.  Bhashakkoru Dollar project is still going on strong after 20 years of continous operaton and now FOKANA'S BHASHAKKORUDOLLAR is affliliated with the Kerala University giving awards to the best Ph.D. thesis in Malayalam from the 5 universities in Kerala.
 
4.  For the first time Washington FOKANA Conention made a profit financially. 

5. Attended by about Seven thousand and five hundred Malayalees.


6.  Chicago alreday had two conventions and both were financially at loss. If the convention is given to Chicago, it will be their third time. It is unfair to deny Washington a convention even for the second time in 2014 rather than giving a third Convention to  Chicago. 
 
7. Tresa and I worked with Dr Anirudhan in the formation of FOKANA when we had the first meeting in Washington,DC when the then Indian Ambassador and past President of India, late H E  K R Narayanan presided over the meeting to form an umbrella association for all Keralites in North America.  

I was the General Secretary of FOKANA (1994 - 1996) and then Member & Vice Chairman of FOKANA's Board of Trustees, Bhashakkorudollar Coordinator with Dr Partha Pillai and others, Election Chair with Dr. Parthasarathy Pillai and Mr.  Manmadhan Nair at California convention.


Now all the 4 associations in Washington DC area -- the Kerala Association of Greater Washington (KAGW), Kerala Cultural Society of Metro Washington (KCSMW), Kairali of Baltimore and Malayalee Association of Maryland (MAM) and its members are unequivocally supporting our candidte, Sanil Gopinath as the president for 2014.  We have a group of younger generation supporting this convention. All the four Association presidents were present when we had the FOKANA Regional kick-off on May 5th under the able leadership of Vipin Raj, the current RVP.

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