Thrissur: Writer Sarah Joseph said on Wednesday that late MP Veerendra Kumar was a visionary who equipped people's movements with scientific knowledge and awareness.

She was speaking after unveiling a commemorative postage stamp issued by the Department of Posts to mark the 90th birth anniversary of MP Veerendra Kumar, who served as the Chairman and Managing Director of Mathrubhumi and was also a noted writer and public speaker.

Sarah Joseph said Veerendra Kumar played a pivotal role in nurturing a scientifically aware generation. "He taught us, in a deeply scientific manner, about water, nature, survival, and sustainability. The struggles he led were backed by extensive study and research," she said.

Referring to the anti-Coca-Cola movement at Plachimada in Kerala, she said Veerendra Kumar had educated people about the global impact of companies extracting groundwater.

"Coca-Cola had to leave only one country, India, and it was forced to withdraw from the small village of Plachimada in Kerala. He led that movement by educating us about how such companies exploited water resources across the world," she added.

Mathrubhumi Editor Manoj K Das said that if Veerendra Kumar was alive today, he would have stood alongside the students protesting in Delhi.

Actor Jayaraj Warrier said Veerendra Kumar's life was a rare blend of knowledge and righteousness.

The commemorative stamp was formally released at a function held at Mathrubhumi Books in Thrissur. A. Subrahmanyam, Senior Superintendent of the Indian Postal Service, handed over the stamp to Sarah Joseph.

The stamp was issued under the Department of Posts' My Stamp initiative by the Unnikrishnan Puthoor Memorial Trust and Foundation.

Puthoor Trust and Foundation Chairman Shaju Puthoor, Chavakkad Postmaster N. Nandakishore, and Mathrubhumi Thrissur Regional Manager Vinod P. Narayan also addressed the gathering.