Kerala’s Health Minister Veena George’s aspirations to provide support to injured Keralites in the devastating Kuwait fire incident have been thwarted following the Centre’s alleged denial of her travel request. The tragedy has claimed the lives of 49 individuals, with 23 of them being from Kerala. George’s intention to visit Kuwait, accompanied by National Health Mission Director Jeevan Babu, was to oversee the treatment of injured Keralites and facilitate the repatriation of mortal remains. The trip required political clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), leading to the state government forwarding a request to the Centre. However, despite their last-minute hopes, the MEA reportedly did not grant the necessary clearance.
George expressed her disappointment, stating that the state government was hopeful of securing the clearance and had even proceeded to Kochi airport in anticipation. She emphasized the significance of each Indian life lost in Kuwait and highlighted Kerala’s disproportionately high number of casualties in the tragedy.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan voiced his criticism of the Centre’s decision, although he refrained from escalating the matter politically during this time of mourning. He stressed the importance of cooperation and coordination between the state and central governments to support the families affected by the tragedy. Despite his criticism, the Chief Minister acknowledged the efforts undertaken by the Governments of India and Kuwait in responding to the tragedy.
The opposition Congress party in Kerala strongly condemned the Centre’s decision, terming it “most unfortunate.” Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, VD Satheesan, lamented the missed opportunity for the state representative to collaborate with local Malayali expatriate organizations in Kuwait. He suggested that the Centre’s decision sends an inappropriate message.
In contrast, BJP leader and former Union Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, defended the Centre’s stance. He emphasized the Centre’s commitment to safeguarding the interests of Indian citizens living abroad, questioning the necessity of a state minister traveling to a foreign country to address the concerns of its citizens.
Governor Khan also defended the Centre’s decision, arguing that George’s presence in Kuwait a day prior to the arrival of the deceased bodies would have served no practical purpose. He highlighted the presence of Government of India ministers in Kuwait to facilitate the repatriation of the bodies.
