London. Indian actor Darasingh Khurrana has been honored with the Mahatma Gandhi Leadership Award for his work towards raising awareness about mental health issues as the ‘Commonwealth Youth Champion of the Year’. Khurana (32) had attended the Global Mental Health Summit-24 held at the prestigious Oxford Union of Oxford University as the keynote speaker before leaving for Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
He said, “I have been working towards spreading awareness about mental health issues for many years. “I am extremely happy to have the opportunity to put this problem on the world map and have meaningful discussions with people in power and influence.” Khurana was honored with the Mahatma Gandhi Leadership Award at the Ashmolean Museum of Oxford University.
He said, “My aim is to provide a more healthy and safe mental environment in the society through my work and to earn respect for it. Getting the opportunity to promote it on a large scale through global recognition will be an event I will always remember.” At CHOGM, Khurana will moderate a session on mental health with Samoa’s Prime Minister Faiem Naomi Matafa, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland and UN Under-Secretary-General Raab Fatima. At the session, Khurana hopes to showcase the work of his India-based organization ‘Pause.Breathe.Talk Foundation’, which aims to provide affordable mental health care to all sections of society, on the global stage.