French Inter-parliamentary forum’s Chevalier award for three persons of eminence in Puducherry

The APF confers 'Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Pléiade' on three distinguished individuals from Puducherry for promoting Francophone culture.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie, (APF), or the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF), has conferred the ‘Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Pléiade’ on three persons of eminence from Puducherry.

Vengada Soupraya Nayagar, Kamala Marius and Satish Nallam were chosen for the honour in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the promotion of the French language and Francophone culture, according to the APF, an umbrella entity for members of the French Parliament and 94 Francophone parliaments worldwide.

Mr. Nayagar, Head of the French Department at Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Postgraduate Studies in Puducherry, has for over three decades enriched the intercultural dialogue between France and India by translating major works by authors such as Albert Camus, Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio into Tamil. He is also credited with authoring 23 books and more than 130 articles in French, English and Tamil.

Kamala Marius, Senior Lecturer in Geography and Gender Studies at Bordeaux Montaigne University and Associate Researcher at the French Institute of Pondicherry (IFP) has significantly contributed to the prominence of the French language and the dissemination of the humanistic values it embodies. Her research at IFP focuses on urbanisation patterns in India, gender inequalities, and postcolonial feminist studies.

Dr. Nallam, laparoscopic surgeon and currently Medical Advisor to the French Consulate in Puducherry, has, concurrent with 25 years of contributions to healthcare, actively promoted French language and culture in his role as president of the Alliance Francise of Pondicherry.

This is the first ever Chevalier title awarded by the APF to distinguished citizens of Puducherry, which fully integrated with the French-speaking world when its Legislative Assembly attained formal membership of the interparliamentary organisation with member-entities spread across five continents during its 49th summit held in Montreal, Canada, in 2024.

The Ordre de la Pléiade, also known as the Ordre de la Francophonie is the only decoration dedicated to Francophonie and the only prestigious international order governed by a parliamentary assembly. “It is intended to recognise individuals who have distinguished themselves in promoting the French language and Francophone values,” said Selva Annamalé, the Puducherry-origin Municipal Councilor Île-de-France region, and a key person behind facilitating Puducherry’s integration with the league of APF.