Message of drug-free, hunger-free society must begin at grassroots: Sreedharan Pillai at Chuttuvattom Awards

Kozhikode: The vision of a drug-free and hunger-free society must first take root in the minds of the people, said former Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai. He stressed that residential communities should take the lead in such initiatives and work to identify and address the root causes of issues linked to substance abuse. He was delivering the keynote address at the Manorama Online – Malabar Gold & Diamonds Chuttuvattom Awards  Grand Finale, honouring Kerala’s best residents’ associations.

Efforts by residents’ associations across the state to tackle local issues with a sense of social responsibility are commendable, said MP M K Raghavan, who presided over the function. He noted that to build a disease-free society, residential groups should champion organic vegetable cultivation. The emergence of apolitical residents’ associations in Kerala, he added, was a model worth replicating.

Malabar Group of Companies Chairman M P Ahammed highlighted the urgency of anti-drug efforts at the neighbourhood level, especially amid rising drug trafficking threats. Manorama Online CEO Mariam Mammen Mathew, Kerala Ranji cricket team captain and Chuttuvattom Awards brand ambassador Sachin Baby, and Manorama Online Senior GM – Marketing Bobby Paul also spoke at the event.

"We celebrate the collective strength of our communities through the Chuttuvattom Awards. These communities were built brick by brick and heart by heart, by the vibrant and visionary residents’ associations of Kerala. In a world grappling with disconnection and distraction, it is our residents’ associations that have stood as watchful sentinels of compassion. They have taken up the mantle to keep our youth safe from the lure of drugs, and to ensure no home in their vicinity goes to bed hungry," Manorama Online CEO Mariam Mammen Mathew said at the event.

Award winners
The Hello Residents’ Association from Ottapalam, Palakkad bagged the award for the best residents’ association in the state. The prize included ₹1 lakh, a certificate, and a trophy. The Snehasangamam Residents’ Association from Azhikode, Kannur, won second place (₹75,000), while the Ponnurunni Sahakarana Residents’ Association in Ernakulam secured the third place (₹50,000). The awards were jointly presented by P S Sreedharan Pillai and M K Raghavan. The prize money was handed over by M P Ahammed.

Special jury awards

• Unninagar Residents’ Association, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram
• Skyline Ivy League Apartment Owners’ Association, Kakkanad, Kochi

Category awards

• Youth Agripreneurship: Kadaiyilmudump Residents’ Association, Vattiyoorkavu, Thiruvananthapuram
• Community Enterprise Excellence: Gowreesapattom Residents’ Association, Thiruvananthapuram
• Social Welfare Outreach: Chellamangalam Janatha Residents’ Association, Thiruvananthapuram
• Women and Youth Empowerment Champion: Soorya Nagar Residents’ Welfare Society, Dhoni, Palakkad
• Resilience in Adversity: Pournami Residents’ Association, West Hill, Kozhikode
• Urban Socio-Humanity Excellence: Skyline Grace Apartment Owners’ Association, Pala, Kottayam
• Innovative Community Impact Project: Perikkoni Residents’ Association, Thodupuzha, Idukki

The jury comprised Dr Binoy T Thomas (Chairperson), professor and researcher at Catholicate College, Pathanamthitta; Dr Ajayakumar Varma (former director, Kerala Suchitwa Mission); Mathews John (former Joint Commissioner, Excise); and chemist Dr M G Vinod Kumar. More than 2,000 associations were evaluated through a multi-stage process, with 12 finalists making it to the grand finale.

Renowned environmentalist Medha Patkar inaugurated this year’s Chuttuvattom Awards in Kozhikode, marked by a mass tree planting initiative by residents’ associations across Kerala. Various socially conscious events, including anti-drug cycle rallies, seminars, and workshops, drew active participation across age groups. A major highlight was the Kannur Cyclothon, in which six-year-old Muhammed Bin Hamsa and 71-year-old Jamaludeen Ummer rode together to promote a drug-free message. As part of the awards, association representatives also participated in one-on-one jury sessions and presented project ideas across multiple sectors.