Victor George Special Jury Award to Kerala Kaumudi senior photojournalist Sreekumar Alapra

KOTTAYAM: Sreekumar Alapra, Senior Photojournalist of Kerala Kaumudi Kottayam Unit, has been awarded the Victor George Special Jury Award, an award given by KUWJ Trust in memory of renowned photojournalist Victor George.

A special award was given to the picture in which the bodies of 18 people who died in the Munnar Pettimudi debris flow were buried together in a big pit during heavy rains.

He has been working as a photographer in Kerala Kaumudi for the past 22 years. He has received awards like Editor Memorial Award, Nature Photography Award, Rajiv Gandhi Centre Memorial Award, Photowide Award and Lurdian Basketball Award.

He is the son of late KK Damodaran Nair and T.K.Devaki Amma. His wife is Rashmi Sreekumar and Devanandan. S and Devadathan S are his children.

Other Awards include first prize for Malayalam Manorama Wayanad Bureau photojournalist Jithin Joel Harim and Mangalam Daily Thodupuzha Bureau photojournalist Angel Adimali will be given a special award. The award will be presented in the first week of September.

​​​​​​The award was decided by a committee consisting of Media Academy Course Coordinator Leen Tobias, Senior journalist Jose T. Thomas and S. Gopan, former Senior Photographer of The Hindu. The winners were selected from 79 entries submitted by photojournalists of various media organizations in Kerala.

The award was announced by Malayala Manorama Chief News Editor Vinod Nair at the memorial meeting held in Kottayam Press Club. Thiruvanjhoor Radhakrishnan MLA inaugurated the function. Former MP Suresh Kurup inaugurated the Victor George film exhibition.

Club President Joseph Sebastian presided over the memorial meeting which was attended by Victor George's family members and colleagues. Chitra Krishnankutty, club secretary Robin Thomas Panicker and district committee member John Mathew spoke at the function. Senior photojournalists were also honored at the function.