The New Indian Express 19.12.2009
Scavengers, drainage cleaners to be awarded
CHENNAI: Perhaps for the first time, basic workers like scavengers, a drainage cleaner, an `appala thozhilali’ and a bullock cartman were selected for felicitation in recognition of their contribution towards the development of the society.
T Ananthan and K Unnikrishnan, officials of the Madras Kerala Samaj, told reporters here on Friday that the workers belonging to the downtrodden sections of the society, would be presented with awards, which carries a cash prize of Rs 1500, a memento and a shawl.
The awardees would be felicitated at a function to be organised on Sunday as part of the birth centenary celebration of CPM leader E M S Namboothiripad.
The officials of the Madras Kerala Samaj, in which the late CPM leader EMS had a long association, ‘‘selected the awardees irrespective of caste, creed and religion.
The awardees include Govindammal, Kondaiah M, Saraswati Ammal, Kondiah (all scavengers), N A Kuppusamy (drainage cleaner), Puchamy (burial ground worker), Janardhanan (tailor), T A Krishnankutty (appala thozhilali), Venkitaramanan and Sundaram (auto drivers), Natarajan (cycle rickshaw worker), Kannan (bullock cartman), Venkitaraman, Samaiah, Krishnakumar, Anok (all tea shop workers), Dakashinamurthy (general worker).
K Balakrishnan, who translated the EMS’ book, would also be felicitated.