Kanyakumari activist receives state's best social worker award

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Madurai: M Soosai Marian, 67, a social activist from Kanyakumari district, was honoured with the Tamil Nadu government’s Best Social Worker Award – for outstanding work done for women – for 2019 at the Independence Day celebrations held in Chennai on Thursday. He received the award, citation and a medal from chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Marian started his career as a teacher in 1973, but quit his job and established and NGO ‘Programme for Human Development – India (PHD-India)’ in 1979. Over the last 40 years, he played an active role in fighting filariasis and also in the fields of education, economic development, environment, women empowerment, health and sanitation, disaster recovery and hunger.

Soosai has also helped 5,654 patients get monthly relief grant from the government in 2011, 2012 and 2014, respectively.

The citation states that he donated half-an-acre land in Nagercoil to establish a home for the destitute and orphans. He has also started three primary school and two pre-schools to benefit the slum population in 1988-89. His struggle against untouchability in 1979-81 helped dalits enter temples with the support of the government.

Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) under the Union ministry of rural development sanctioned construction of 400 toilets through PHD-India. Completion of the toilets in rural pockets created awareness among the villagers on the mosquito menace and vector-borne diseases.

In 2001, he received the social scientist award from Kanyakumari collector at the Republic Day celebration for his contributions in the field of education, disaster recovery and social services. He played an important role in rescuing tsunami victims who were trapped at Kadiyapatanam on December 26, 2004.