Two Indians — Carnatic singer T.M. Krishna and campaigner for eradication of manual scavenging Bezwada Wilson — were among six persons who received the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay prize for 2016.
Wilson, 50, the national convenor of the Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA), got the award for “asserting the inalienable right to a life of human dignity” while 40-year-old Krishna won it under the ‘Emergent Leadership’ category for bringing “social inclusiveness in culture.”
Four others who received the award are: Conchita Carpio-Morales of the Philippines, Dompet Dhuafa of Indonesia, Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers and ‘Vientiane Rescue’ of Laos.
The Manila-based award, named after a Filipino president killed in an aircraft crash, was set up in 1957 to honour people and groups tackling development problems. This award is considered as Asia’s Nobel Prize.