THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM leadership on Sunday went on the defensive, trying too hard to justify the controversial decision that denied senior leader K K Shailaja the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award.
On the day this paper broke the news of how the party scuttled the former Kerala health minister’s chance of getting the award, a slew of senior leaders, including CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury and state secretary M V Govindan, went to great lengths to explain why accepting such an award would have clashed with the party’s inherent ideology.
TNIE on Sunday reported that the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation had chosen Shailaja for this year’s award for her work as health minister during the first Pinarayi Vijayan government and contacted her to convey her willingness to accept the honour. However, after consulting the party, she conveyed her inability to accept the award.
Yechury told reporters that the award was in recognition for the manner in which public health issues were managed in Kerala. “That was a collective effort of the LDF government and health department. In that sense, it’s not an individual effort. But the foundation had made it clear that the award would be given only to individuals,” he said.
Yechury said the Magsaysay award is normally given to social activists and leaders of people’s movements. It has not been given to any serving or active politicians till date, he said.
It was a collective decision by CPM, says Shailaja
“Shailaja is a member of our central committee which is the highest decision-making body of the party. And she’s active in politics. Thirdly, this award is in the name of Magsaysay, who was notorious for his brutal suppression of the Communists in the Philippines. Taking into consideration all such factors, she politely declined the award,” Sitaram Yechury said.
Shailaja too maintained that it was a collective decision by the party to not accept the award in her individual capacity. Responding to media queries on Sunday, she maintained that she decided not to accept the award after discussions with the party leadership. Shailaja said the Magsaysay foundation had informed her about the award.
“Being a CPM central committee member, I discussed the matter with the party leadership. Following which, we collectively took a decision to not accept the award. Hence, I thanked the foundation and informed them of my decision,” she said, adding that normally Magsaysay award is not given to political leaders. CPM state secretary Govindan also maintained that it was the party's decision not to accept the award.
Did the state miss a huge opportunity?
Experts feel the state squandered a chance to showcase its achievements when CPM asked Shailaja to reject the Ramon Magsaysay Award
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