Thiruvananthapuram 4th September : The former Kerala Health Minister as well as CPI-M MLA from the Mattanur assembly seat, K.K.Shailaja has said she did not take the Ramon Magsaysay Award going by the party’s decision.She declared she was aware that the Ramon Magsaysay Award foundation had asked her permission to announce the prize in acknowledgement of the work done by her in her capacity as health minister in “defending” Nipah and Covid diseases.
She was speaking to reporters at the CPI-M Kerala state headquarters on Sunday.
Shailaja claimed she had said that she has discussed the issue with the party since she is an Central Committee member of the CPI-M and a unanimous decision was made that the award could not be accepted.
She said that fighting Nipah, a deadly virus as well as Covid-19 was a collective effort, not an individual’s job.
Shailaja added that the award had been formally established in the name of Ramon Magsaysay who had used force against communist leaders in the Philippines.
In a parallel change, CPI-M general secretary, Sitaram Yechury has told media personnel in New Delhi that the decision to not acknowledge the Magsaysay award was the decision of the CPI-M party.
When asked if the party had denied the possibility to Shailaja, Yechury said, “She herself is a party member, she is the central committee member, which is the most important authority for decision making of the CPI-M”.
He added that the work implemented in Kerala to stop Nipah as well as Covid was an initiative of the department of health and the government.An individual cannot be eligible as a candidate for the Magsaysay award.
Yechcury said that this was the first time that a political leader was selected for the award.Generally, activists are considered to be eligible for it; that was yet another reason to reject the award.
aal/shs
