Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been chosen for the first Oommen Chandy Public Servant Award, instituted in memory of the late Oommen Chandy, a party veteran and former Kerala Chief Minister. The award, announced by the Oommen Chandy Foundation, includes a purse of Rs 1 lakh and a sculpture designed by renowned artist and filmmaker Nemom Pushparaj.
Gandhi was a national leader who listened to people’s problems and found solutions through the Bharat Jodo Yatra. An expert jury chaired by Shashi Tharoor, MP, selected the awardee. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan fondly remembered his predecessor, Oommen Chandy, and described his life as synonymous with tirelessness. Vijayan said that his friendship with Chandy went beyond politics, and they both had the freedom to agree or disagree on any topic and speak their own minds.
Vijayan emphasized the importance of continuing Kerala’s unity in times of calamity and urged the coming generations to grow and work by taking in the essence of all this. People from all walks of life gathered at Puthuppally in Kottayam district on July 18 to pay tribute to Chandy on his first death anniversary.
