Thiruvananthapuram: Raising ethical concerns and citing pending criminal cases, the Save University Campaign Committee, a whistleblower group in the higher education sector, has written to President Droupadi Murmu seeking the withdrawal of the Padma Bhushan award announced for Vellappally Natesan, general secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam.
The SNDP Yogam is a major socio-religious organisation representing the Ezhava community in Kerala and wields significant social and political influence. Natesan (88) is also the secretary of the Sree Narayana Trust, which runs several schools and colleges in the state.
In a representation dated January 27, Save University Campaign Committee chairman R S Sasikumar said Natesan had, on public platforms, openly ridiculed and mocked the Padma Awards, casting aspersions on the credibility of the very honour now announced in his name. Conferring a national award on a person who has publicly insulted it undermines the dignity of the award and the esteem of those who have previously received it, the letter said.
After the government announced Natesan as a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, the country's third-highest civilian award, a recent interview he gave to a Malayalam news site resurfaced on social media. When asked whether he deserved a Padma Bhushan, given his perceived proximity to the BJP, Natesan had said: "Does the Padma Bhushan have any value? Haven't all these awards become commodities that can be...
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