Mr. Gopinathan - redefining Indian Administrative Services

Kerala is a state that gets most affected by the floods. Although many people and NGO’s work for the betterment of the survivors, but with helping others they have their own benefits attached to it. They publicize their activities to get funds for their agencies. But amidst all this there are people who work selflessly, and one such great soul is IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan.

He was a district collector in the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, when in 2018 Kerala battled devastation from deadly floods. Gopinathan He was on an official visit to hand over a cheque for Rs one crore from Dadra and Nagar Haveli for the Kerala chief minister’s relief fund. After completing his task he went on to visit Chegannur, one of Kerala’s worst-affected areas. Once he reached there, he started helping common people without revealing his real identity. This continued for 8 days and this humble IAS officer lived between them as he himself was affected by this grieve situation and was determined to help people as much as he can.

When he got recognised he left the place silently. For flood-stricken people he was not less than a God, who helped them when they needed it. For Gopinathan it was nothing great what he did as it was his duty towards society. He appreciated the work of other volunteers who were living there, helping people.

Not only this a social activist at heart Gopinathan is so much inclined towards the betterment of the backward class and common people of the society, that he left his prominent job as a IAS officer, to help people his way. He knew that as an IAS officer he can’t do justice to his deeds and there will be restrictions imposed on him every then and now. This sacrifice needed a big courage as one has to leave all the comforts of life. Gopinathan choose this path and is fulfilling his passion with great zeal. He is boldly putting his thoughts on different issues raising in country and try to make government understand common people’s plead. According to Gopinathan, we are humans and we all have right to question about things which affect us and people around us. Helping others should be everyone’s aim, and this is the only way to make earth worth-living for all.