Yoshini Perumal|Published
Nobel Peace laureate Navi Pillay declined an MK Party honour and asked the party to redirect its gesture towards helping poor and vulnerable families.
Visvin Reddy, the party’s national convenor of its Social Cohesion Unit, said they extended the invitation to Pillay after they she had won the Nobel Peace Prize.
“When we heard the news that Judge Navi Pillay, a daughter of Clairwood, had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, we knew that this was no ordinary moment.
“This was a moment of immense pride. A moment of history. A moment when the world recognised a woman who had dedicated her life to fighting injustice, oppression and the violation of human dignity.
“And we said to ourselves that we could allow this historic moment to pass without celebrating this extraordinary daughter of our soil.
“When we approached her about this tribute, she indicated that she did not wish to receive an award.
“Instead, she made a simple but profoundly moving request.
“She asked us to do something for the poor. To serve those who are less fortunate.
“Here is a woman receiving one of the greatest honours in the world, yet her thoughts are with the poor, the hungry and the forgotten,” Reddy added.
He said they were working with a temple to organise a special feeding programme for indigent families in the coming weeks.
He said they would also be distributing food hampers to families who are struggling to put food on their tables.
“The greatest tribute we can pay to a champion of humanity is to demonstrate humanity ourselves.
“Judge Navi Pillay has shown us that one person can make a difference. Our responsibility is to ensure that her example inspires thousands more,” Reddy added.