IAS officer Divya S Iyer hugging CPM senior leader K Radhakrishnan.
Credit: Facebook/Sabarinadhan K S
Thiruvananthapuram: The picture of a hug has gone viral on the social media as the one hugging is a young woman IAS officer in Kerala and the recipient is an ex-minister and Lok Sabha MP-elect from the state.
CPM senior leader K Radhakrishnan, who quit from Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet recently on being elected to the Lok Sabha, received the hug as a mark of respect from IAS officer Divya S Iyer, who is also the wife of Congress former MLA K S Sabarinadhan.
Iyer, who posted the picture on social media, said that she was amazed by the dedication of Radhakrishnan when he took up the issues of the tribal villages of Pathanamthitta while she was serving as district collector there.
The picture was taken when Radhakrishan visited her official residence and spent some time with her family.
Many women writers and activists have shared the picture highlighting the social limitations still prevalent in Kerala over a man and woman hugging each other as a mark of respect. Sabarinadhan too shared the picture with a post saying that he was happy that the picture of a woman hugging a man in respect is being discussed positively now.
Radhakrishnan had also received wide appreciation over his last decision - banning the use of the word 'colony' for tribal settlements - as SC and ST welfare minister.
The Pinarayi Vijayan government's decision to give devaswom portfolio to Radhakrishnan, who hailed from the scheduled caste community, had also received much appreciation.
Iyer is now serving as managing director of Vizhinjam International Seaport.