Democracies in different parts of the world have come under pressure, N. Ram, Director, The Hindu Publishing Group, said here on Saturday.
Speaking at the Dr. K.C.G. Verghese Excellence Awards 2023, he said democracy had come under assault and pressure in India as well. “Indian democracy has come under pressure, and we don’t rank very high in the international rankings. I’m concerned about the pressures and assaults on free speech, not just in India but in different parts of the world,” he said.
Some journalists had lost their lives, and there were some in jail even without charge-sheets, Mr. Ram said. “The bright side is we are able to stand up for freedom and are able to speak. We are not in a dictatorship, but there are pressures and anti-democratic elements against free speech,” he said.
He added that K.C.G. Verghese was a remarkable man from humble beginnings who aimed high and made magnificent contributions to the field of education.
The fourth edition of the Dr. K.C.G. Verghese Excellence Awards 2023 saw 32 personalities from different fields being honoured in the categories of Lifetime Achievement, Academic Excellence, Research Excellence, Corporate Excellence, Community Development, Youth Icon, Sports Excellence and Outstanding Alumni.
T.S. Tirumurti, former ambassador of India to the United Nations, said K.C.G. Varghese was a visionary who was far ahead of his times. He was one of the first to realise the potential of what private educational institutions could do to build a modern India, he added.
Michaela Kuchler, consul general, Federal Republic of Germany, said, “Tamil Nadu has become a prominent location in India for higher education and opportunities for the youth.”
The Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to K. Doraisami, senior advocate; P.S. Surana, international attorney, Surana & Surana; A.E. Muthunayagam, former Secretary to Government for Ocean Development; S.P. Thiyagarajan, Chancellor, Avinashilingam University, Coimbatore; Jina Das, general physician, Fortis Hospitals; R. Venkatesh, partner, Alladi Krishnan & Kumar; and Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti, textile industrialist and chairman of Nalli Silk Sarees.
Anand Jacob Verghese, chairman of the Hindustan Group of Institutions, also spoke.
