S.R. Sankaran, people’ IAS officer, remembered

Former IAS officer, late SR Sankaran, popularly known as the IAS officer, was a saint among civil servants and civil service aspirants should follow in his footsteps, former Chief Secretary of Kerala M. Vijayanand said on Wednesday (October 22).

Mr. Vijayanand was speaking as the chief guest at a program organized by SR Sankaran Memorial Trust in association with Andhra Loyola College (Autonomous) at the college here to celebrate the 91st birth anniversary of the former IAS officer.

Speakers included G. Haragopal, renowned intellectual and visiting professor at National Law School of India University (NLSIU); G. Narendra Kumar, director general, National Rural Development Institute, Hyderabad; and PM Sowjanya, deputy regional director at the Indira Gandhi National Open University in Hyderabad. Also present was T. Vijay Kumar, Adviser to Andhra Pradesh Government.

They said Sankaran dedicated his life for the welfare of the poor and oppressed and won the hearts of many with his simplicity and humanity. His contributions to the elimination of bonded labor and manual garbage collection in the country were also reminded.

“Sankaran was never tempted by money and power. He never gushed over what he had done for the people,” Mr. Vijayanand recalled.

Mr. Haragopal said many rulers attained power through their positions, but Sankaran’s strength was his moral authority. “Many of us have certain values ​​in life, but not many of us practice them. Sankaran not only talked about them, but also stood for them and practiced them,” recalls Mr Haragopal, explaining why it is important to remember Sankaran, whose message was to ‘humanize the world’, in this time when dehumanization has become more prevalent.

Pointing out that Sankaran had the courage to challenge the status quo and transform and improve people’s lives, Mr. Narendra Kumar urged the students to look at his life as an example and have a set of principles and goals in life.