Shri Philip M Simon – A true leader
Shri Philip Simon is no more. He breathed his last at 4 am on 16.02.2022 after a prolonged illness. Parivaar salutes the giant leader who has taken the organization to enviable heights.
A leader to the core, Shri Philip Simon’s activities spread over a wide area: from gram panchayat at the grass root level, to the national level. Right from his college days he showed leadership qualities. He was College Union Chairman. He worked as Standing Committee Chairman of Airur Grama Panchayat. He was Member of Disability Advisory Board, Government of Kerala. Shri Philip Simon was General Secretary, Parivaar NCPO, for three years from 2014. He had also served as President and General Secretary of the state federation, Parivaar Kerala, and has been its Director till the end. He led the organization from the front. The Round Table Conference held at Thiruvananthapuram in 2013 stands testimony to his remarkable organizing ability and public relations. During the entire conference he stood tall with his eloquence. During his tenure as General Secretary of Parivaar NCPO he labored to make the national organization more democratic by decentralizing power. Along with Shri P.B.George, Shri Simon travelled throughout Kerala to mobilise parents of PwIDD; he imbibed hope and instilled self confidence in them. Even parents of remote villages of Kerala have fond memories about him. He had a very wide network of friends all over the country. He treated the rustic and the elite parents alike, with equal warmth. Shri Philip Simon was instrumental in establishing Group Care 10, neighbourhood groups of parents (the fore-runner of Kudumbasree SNGs) throughout Kerala. Another enviable quality of Shri Simon was that he has identified and groomed up leaders in all the districts of Kerala by giving them encouragement and opportunity.
Shri Philip Simon led by his own example: he built a farm consisting of vegetable farming, animal and pet rearing (including rabbit breeding) and involved his own daughter, Ms.Maneesha Susan Philip, in all the activities including handling of sale proceeds. This earned Ms.Maneesha the National Award for the best woman entrepreneur (self-employment) in 2015. He initiated a novel project in his own district Pathanamthitta – Opportunity Learning Centre (OLC) – for training PwIDD in agriculture and animal husbandry at selected special schools, harnessing the Panchayat, ICAR – Krishi Vigyan Kendra and NABARD. He got himself associated with schemes for poverty alleviation taken up by churches and other organisations.
Parivaar Kerala has lost its two important pillars, Shri P B George and Shri Philip Simon. While Shri P B George was a workaholic, Shri Philip Simon was a visionary leader. Many of his original ideas seemed to be utopian at first but, when brought into practice, proved to be sustainable and gave verve to the sector.