Whistleblower group seeks withdrawal of Padma Bhushan for Vellappally Natesan

Thiruvananthapuram: Raising ethical concerns and citing pending criminal cases, the Save University Campaign Committee, a whistleblower group in the higher education sector, has written to President Droupadi Murmu seeking the withdrawal of the Padma Bhushan award announced for Vellappally Natesan, general secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam.

The SNDP Yogam is a major socio-religious organisation representing the Ezhava community in Kerala and wields significant social and political influence. Natesan (88) is also the secretary of the Sree Narayana Trust, which runs several schools and colleges in the state.

In a representation dated January 27, Save University Campaign Committee chairman R S Sasikumar said Natesan had, on public platforms, openly ridiculed and mocked the Padma Awards, casting aspersions on the credibility of the very honour now announced in his name. Conferring a national award on a person who has publicly insulted it undermines the dignity of the award and the esteem of those who have previously received it, the letter said.

After the government announced Natesan as a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, the country's third-highest civilian award, a recent interview he gave to a Malayalam news site resurfaced on social media. When asked whether he deserved a Padma Bhushan, given his perceived proximity to the BJP, Natesan had said: "Does the Padma Bhushan have any value? Haven't all these awards become commodities that can be obtained by paying money? Even if it is offered to me, I won't accept it."

"More seriously," the whistleblower group said, "Natesan is an accused in around 127 criminal cases, many of which relate to alleged large-scale financial irregularities in microfinance schemes meant for below poverty line beneficiaries under a Central government programme. One of the cases is a murder case." In at least 21 of these cases, proceedings have reached the stage of filing charge sheets, the representation said.

Sasikumar also informed the President that the University of Calicut rejected a proposal to confer an honorary doctorate on Natesan two years ago, citing the criminal allegations against him. The committee urged the President to reconsider the decision to honour Natesan, warning that proceeding with it would send a troubling message, particularly to the poor and marginalised who were the intended beneficiaries of the microfinance schemes.

Natesan's son is the president of the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), a political party that is a constituent of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.