Grassroots Changemakers Felicitated

The One India One People Outstanding Indian Award was first instituted in 2006 on the occasion of OIOP's Centennial Issue Celebration. The 2006 awardees – Dr. Vijay Kumar Saraswat, distinguished scientist in the area of missile technologies and Director, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Hyderabad, Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder, Sulabh International Service Organisation and Ratan Thiyam, actor, director, playwright, musician and Chairman, Chorus Repertory Theatre, Manipur were felicitated at the hands of the Governor of Maharashtra, His Excellency S. M. Krishna. They were presented with a cheque of Rs. one lakh each, a shawl and a scroll.

The 2009 awardees were Kavalam Narayana Panikkar, playwright and poet who has and is making exceptional efforts to revive the ancient art forms of Kerala, through his plays, writings and music; Arvind Gupta, science populariser who is bringing back the joy and wonder of learning science to the younger generation with his simple to make innovative toys and Rangasamy Elango, Panchayat Raj leader who has devoted himself for the cause of village development and has not only transformed his village Kuthambakkam in Tamil Nadu but many neighbouring villages as well. They too received the One India One People ‘Outstanding Indian Award' at the hands of the Chief Guest Mr. S. M. Krishna, former Governor of Maharashtra, at a glittering function organised in Mumbai. Each of the awardees was presented with a shawl, a scroll and a cheque of Rs. 1 lakh.

The awardees were selected by an eminent jury comprising Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, Department of Atomic Energy, Govt. of India; Mr. M. V. Kamath, veteran journalist and writer; Justice B. H. Marlapalle, Judge, Mumbai High Court; Mr. Shyam Benegal, renowned film maker and Mr. R.H. Mendonca, former Police Commissioner, Mumbai.

Speaking at the 2009 award ceremony, Mrs. Sucharita R. Hegde, Foundation Trustee and Managing Editor, One India One People, said that the OIOP Outstanding Indian Award is an extension of OIOP's ideals and objectives “where we are searching for people who are selflessly working towards these same ideals.” She opined that while we proclaim our pride for our culture, we must all strive to promote it. She said, “When we breakdown the phrase ‘cultural heritage' we realise it is defined by the languages, cuisine, dance, monuments, culture, folk arts, distinct geography, the diversity that we uphold and the tenacious value system. The previous, the present, and the next generation need to question what we do to retain our culture and the value system. Recent incidents, be they terrorist attacks, scams or intolerance of some kind, show the rapid degeneration of our culture and our value system.”

She affirmed that OIOP would, in its own small way, continue to felicitate extraordinary achievements of Indians and hoped that it “will provide the proverbial drop in the ocean and the ripple effect of these will spread the message and each individual in his own way, will contribute to this initiative.”