Delhi Malayalee Association, popularly known as DMA, was established in 1949, as a premier socio cultural organisation consisting of around one million Keralites living in Delhi & NCR. Spanning across Delhi in 30 areas, it serves a wide spectrum of the Malayalee community. DMA endeavours to enrich the social and cultural life of Delhi by effectively projecting the art and culture of Kerala to the people of Delhi & NCR as well as the outside world.
DMA is registered body under the Registrar of Societies Act vide Registration No.S-941/1956 and also Registered in NORKA. The Association works incessantly for promoting national integrity, social welfare, enhanced education, women empowerment and fostering a sense of fraternity in the public, embracing the best of human values from all religions without entertaining dividends like gender, caste, creed or social status. DMA has a diligent federal system as its organizational structure. The Central Executive lays down broad policies and holistic guidelines and area committees at branch level implement the directives, undertaking activities independently yet in consonance with the constitutional provisions of DMA.
From its inception, eminent personages from various walks of life have been soulfully involved in shaping and patronizing the activities of DMA, which has come a long way since its foundation seven decades ago. DMA has its own office premises in six locations in Delhi, with its Headquarters housed in a quaint edifice, constructed in a land admeasuring 933 sq. mts, allotted by Government of India at the Institutional Area, Sector – 4, R.K. Puram, New Delhi. Construction of this four storied building with a spacious basement was completed in April 2008 and the Cultural Centre was inaugurated on 14th April 2008 by Padma Sree Yusuf Ali and the official inauguration having been announced at Siri Fort Auditorium by Shri Shivraj Patel, the then Hon’ble Home Minister of India. The DMA Headquarters is located around 250 mts off the Outer Ring Road in R K Puram and at a distance of 12 kms from Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.
While recognizing the necessity for low cost, quality education, DMA remains steadfast on the prominence, promotion and propagation of the vernacular Malayalam language. From this resolve stems the fact that DMA is one of the co-founders of the present day Kerala Schools, affiliated to the Kerala Education Society. There are four Kerala Schools – Secondary and Senior Secondary – functioning in different parts of Delhi.
The International Centre for Kathakali (ICK) New Delhi was established in Delhi with the aim of nurturing and propagating ‘Kathakali’, the pioneer traditional art form of Kerala. The conglomerate was passing through a grey patch, largely due to resource crunch, in the early seventies when DMA could rise to the occasion with the aim of resurrecting the premier school of learning art forms of yonder times, in good stead. As a reciprocal gesture, DMA continues to enjoy associate membership of ICK, with four of its nominees in the Governing Council of ICK.
THE WAY FORWARD
We are presently three generations of Malayalees cohabiting in Delhi. This phenomenon has brought in its wake the need and desirability of amalgamating the divergent cultural outlook of each of them to a manageable level in synchronization with modern day requirements, without, however, not compromising the ethnic, cultural and heritage related aspects. We should also, nevertheless, decide what we stand for and communicate it effectively and repeatedly and articulate a vision for the future that embraces the aspirations of majority of Members. A team of accredited young enthusiasts, with an enduring capability to take the Delhi Malayalee Association to new heights with passion and commitment, knowledge and sheer brilliance, zeal and enthusiasm, leadership and team spirit qualities is well poised to achieve this end, in a not so distant future.