Thiruvananthapuram: Names of Oscar winner Resul
Pookutty, and eminent Ayurveda physician P K Warrier, who were
conferred the Padma Shri, had not been recommended to the
Centre by the state government for the honour, according to
the State Information Commission.
Resul Pookutty had made the country proud by winning the
Oscar in sound-mixing for the film `Slumdog Millionaire`
which also secured two Oscars for music composer A R Rahman.
Only four out of 21 persons recommended by the state
government for Padma awards were chosen by the Centre,
according to a reply received by Human Rights Defence Forum
General Secretary D B Binu to his query to the State
Information Commission.
When contacted, one of the ministers, who was a member of
the cabinet sub-committee, said the names of Resul and Warrier
had not come before the panel.
If their names had come before the panel, it would have
been accepted and there was no deliberate attempt on the part
of the government (to overlook their case), the minister,
speaking on the condition of anonymity, said.
Ashtavaidyan E T Narayanan Moos, Lakeshore Hospital
Managing Director Philip Augustine, NRI businessman Ravi
Pillai and veteran music director K Raghavan were the persons
in the state list who were chosen for Padma awards.
While Moos and Warrier were recommended for Padma Shri by
the state, they were honoured with Padma Bhushan.
PTI
