Rajat Subhra Chatterjee
0025
In the very first place I must confess that I need more education and knowledge to really authenticate what is being expressed hereunder.
As the ‘Nightingale of India’ is now resting in peace, after enthralling her audiences over almost eight decades, the ‘Real Bharat Ratna’, has by default, given birth to a big debate on her traversing into the vast eternity, towards the worth of the State’s highest civilian honour and its, so far, 48 recipients. The question is here if the award, mostly conferred to really deserving ones ( this columnist is a novice in the matter ), yet it is wondered, how this highest award, on occasions, had been conferred to mere politicians and Presidents of the country!! More importantly, how many deserving Indians, even after contributing enormously to the cause of the Nation, have remained un-awarded so far ! A glaring example perhaps is Ratan Tata.
While no questions are placed with the deserving ones, eye brows could be raised if one glares at the list below:
Sl Name
1 C Rajagopalachari
2 S Radhakrishnan
3 C V Raman
4 Bhagawan Das
5 M. Visvesvaraya
6 Jawaharlal Nehru
7 Govind Ballabh Pant
8 Dhondo Keshav Karve
9 Bidhan Chandra Roy
10 Purushottam Das Tandon
11 Rajendra Prasad
12 Zakir Husain
13 Pandurang Vaman Kane
14 Lal Bahadur Shastri
15 Indira Gandhi
16 V. V. Giri
17 K. Kamaraj
18 Mother Teresa
19 Vinoba Bhave
20 Abdul Ghaffar Khan
21 M. G. Ramachandran
22 B. R. Ambedkar
23 Nelson Mandela
24 Rajiv Gandhi
25 Vallabhbhai Pate
26 Morarji Desa
27 Abul Kalam Azad
28 J. R. D. Tata
29 Satyajit Ray
30 Gulzarilal Nanda
31 Aruna Asaf Ali
32 A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
33 M. S. Subbulakshmi
34 Chidambaram Subramaniam
35 Jayaprakash Narayan
36 Amartya Sen
37 Gopinath Bordoloi
38 Ravi Shankar
39 Lata Mangeshkar
40 Bismillah Khan
41 Bhimsen Joshi
42 C. N. R. Rao
43 Sachin Tendulkar
44 Madan Mohan Malaviya
45 Atal Bihari Vajpayee
46 Pranab Mukherjee
47 Bhupen Hazarika
48 Nanaji Deshmukh
The above illustrious names are all famous for their own deeds and to their followers. Yet, it sounds strange and blasphemous when we observe that Jawaharlal Nehru had conferred himself with this Highest Award when he was the Prime Minister of the country ! And during his time, many were conferred with for their involvement as Freedom Activists. Must be for the right cause !
Ignorance can not be any excuse. But this writer really did not know few names in this august list who had been bestowed with Bharat Ratna. I will for sure need to know much and more deeply how and why really the following persons have been conferred with Bharat Ratna and for what contribution to the Nation.
Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, V. V. Giri, K. Kamaraj, M. G. Ramachandran, Rajiv Gandhi, Morarji Desai, Gulzarilal Nanda, Pranab Mukherjee.
This small list apart, there are few more names of recipients of Bharat Ratna whose contribution to merit such an award, is wished to be available handy more illustrated. It is believed that the Govt. of India constitutes a high profile committee from time to time which must be including equally high profile people of judgment and wisdom who sit and decide these names of recipients. Then their recommendations must have been ratified by the highest chair in the Govt. that matters.
Bharat Ratna or for that matter Padma awards are no mean award that these can be distributed merrily. Will it not be prudent henceforth if the Govt. of India takes up a policy at least, that no politician would ever be conferred with any of these award in future? That will make these prestige awards that much honourable, dignified and meaningful. After all, the Awardees must be able to draw enough respect and awe from their own countrymen to rejoice the occasion.
Featured Image : Courtesy Internet
