The former Indian-origin diplomat, 79-year-old K Kesavapany, has been felicitated for helping immigrants and those trying to make ends meet in Singapore.

Kesavapany received the Community Champion Award from ‘Tabla’, a Friday weekly of Singapore Press Holdings, which covers Indian lifestyle. He also got the award of Singapore Dollar (SGD) 10,000 from the State Bank of India in Singapore.

However, as the president of the Indian Association in Singapore, he donated the award money to the sporting club’s welfare fund and the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS).

The award by the magazine, which was launched in 2011, given to the member of the Indian community who has carried out distinguished work with less fortunate.

The editor of Tabla Patrick Jonas, while speaking at the award ceremony appreciated Kesavapany as ‘a rare gem in the Indian community’.

Jonas said, “He (Kesavpany) raised funds for the Indian Association Welfare Fund and uses it to help the needy who would otherwise fall through the cracks. He reaches out to Indians who are new citizens or Permanent Residents and helps them integrate better with Singapore.”

As a diplomat, Kesavapany has served as Singapore’s permanent representative to to the United Nations in Geneva and High Commissioner to Malaysia as well as director of the institute South East Asian Studies, a regional think-tank in Singapore.

By Prajakt K.