Kerala’s ex-minister rejects Magsaysay award

The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation had picked former Kerala health minister and CPM’s central committee member K K Shailaja for the 64th Magsaysay award a few weeks ago but she turned it down following her party's diktat. Shailaja had played a stellar role as health minister, initially during the Nipah outbreak and later during the Covid pandemic. CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that the party leadership had rejected an award in the name of Ramon Magsaysay, a ‘known oppressor’ of Communists in the Philippines. “Shailaja was chosen as an individual. But the fight against Covid was not the achievement of any single person. Generally, political leaders are not considered for the Magsaysay award,” he said.