As congratulatory messages poured in for Sanjeev Chaturvedi Anshu Gupta, for winning this year’s Ramon Magsaysay awards, other Indians who had won the award rejoiced at the fact that the country pocketed two of them at one go.
India’s first woman IPS officer who had also won the Magsaysay award in 1994 said the duo was “undoubtedly the most deserving” for the award. “This is a longitudinal award which is given not for one act, but for persistence of an act” she said.
Social activist, Sandeep Pandey who won the award in 2002 in the emergent leadership category calls Mr. Gupta a trend setter. “I teach development studies at Banaras Hindu University. Every year, I assign students to get involved in collecting used clothes for making sanitary napkins. I must admit I took the project idea from Goonj,” he said.
He recalled the time when he met Mr. Chaturvedi and said he represents “youth” and “idealism.” “These are all people with fire who were associated with the anti-corruption crusade led by Anna Hazare.”
A jubilant Rajendra Singh, also known as the ‘Water Man of India’ called Mr. Chaturvedi a “loved soul”. “I know him personally and he is a nature lover. Being in the Indian Forest Service, he has done a lot of work in Haryana towards wildlife while courageously fighting with several mafias,” he said. Mr. Singh had won the Magsaysay award for community leadership in 2001.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had won the award in the same category in 2006 took to twitter to congratulate the awardees.
“Congratulations Anshu and Sanjeev for Magsaysay award. V well deserved. God bless u,” he tweeted.
The awardees join the community of 307 other Magsaysay laureates. This year’s winners will each receive a certificate, a medallion, and a cash prize. They will be formally conferred the Magsaysay Award on August 31 at the Cultural Centre of the Philippines.
