Amit Shah to present award to Gandhian Natwar Thakkar

New Delhi

BJP president Amit Shah will present an award to noted Gandhian and social activist Natwar Thakkar later this week for his contribution towards the welfare of people of Nagaland.

Shah will hand over the ‘Karmyogi Award’ to 84-year-old Padma Shree awardee during the event, which is scheduled to be held at Constitution Club here on September 13, an NGO organising the event said today.

The event will also be attended by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju and Development of North Eastern Region (DONER) Minister Jitendra Singh, the NGO said.

“We have been honouring people who have worked for welfare of people in the North Eastern region. During his over 40 years stay in Nagaland, Thakkar was attacked, received threats from insurgents to leave the state.

“…but he continued to walk Gandhiji’s path of self-reliance, self-dependence. He ran skill development programs there and brought about a change in health, education and other areas. Hence, we will honour him,” said Sunil Deodhar, founder of the NGO — ‘My Home India’.

Thakkar, who was awarded Padma Shree during previous NDA government tenure, runs Nagaland Gandhi Ashram in the state.

Born to Gujarati parents, the Gandhian arrived in Nagaland in 1955 voluntarily to serve the people in the insurgency-ravaged state. At that time, the Naga rebels and the army were constantly at “war” and hence any “Indian” was looked upon as a “spy”.

Thakkar boldly stepped into Nagaland and established the Gandhi Ashram at Chuchuyimlang, about 35km from Mokokchung town.

He had also started vocational training centre for school drop-outs and the physically-handicapped and popularised khadi and village industries, the NGO said.

PTI