Mangaluru: More than 200 pro-Kannada organisations have launched a coordinated campaign on X, demanding the immediate establishment of a dedicated secretariat for non-resident Kannadigas (NRKs). The digital drive, led by entrepreneur Ronald Colaco, patron of the International Kannadiga Federation, reportedly surged to the No. 1 trending position in India and the Gulf region, shortly after it began on Friday evening.According to organisers, the campaign started at 6 pm and quickly gathered momentum as thousands of Kannadigas across countries amplified the call online. Colaco said the mobilisation brought together over 200 Kannada-focused organisations operating internationally, describing the turnout and reach as exceeding expectations. The central demand is that Karnataka chief minister DK Shivakumar, who has publicly announced the proposed initiative, should move swiftly from announcement to implementation.“For several decades, we have been demanding a separate ministry for non-resident Kannadigas. We are pleased that CM DK Shivakumar has made this announcement. Our appeal now is that it should be implemented without delay, giving a new direction to the progress and welfare of non-resident Kannadigas,” Colaco said.Parallel to the push for setting up the secretariat, NRKs and associations across several countries have begun advocating for Karnataka legislative council member Arathi Krishna to be appointed to lead the body.Zakariya Jokatte, founder of Al Muzain Company in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, said the secretariat should focus not only on attracting investment from overseas Kannadigas, but also on welfare mechanisms for migrants, particularly blue-collar workers in Gulf countries and other destinations. He said Karnataka should adopt a model similar to Keralam’s approach to expatriate engagement and welfare.
