No country can be as generous as India when it comes to recognizing individual effort and contribution to/in the field of medicine, arts, sports, trade, industry, literature, education, civil service, journalism, social service and public affairs. Ironically, the country is also known for letting down some of the top class players in these fields and boosting some misfits.
The prestigious Padma Awards bestow a mark of great respect and honor on the awardees and great recognition from Indian public. However, over the last few years, the list of Padma awardees has raised many an eyebrow, in anguish and more precisely, in rude shock.
I was surprised the last time when Vijendra Singh and Sushil Kumar, the Olympic medalists were left out and shocked when the Bachchan bahu and actor Akshay Kumar claimed the Padma Shri honor with equal ease. May be a Bronze medal at Olympics is just not as good a merit as getting married to the Bollywood Biggy’s son or acting in super flops like Singh is King, Welcome & Chandni Chowk to China.
This time too, the list is no less in providing quotients of surprise.
Rekha, for Padma Shri, this erstwhile damsel of the tinsel town, sure needs recognition, but a lifetime achievement award from Film Fare would be more than sufficient.
Saif Ali Khan gets Padma Shri, maybe for his true love towards Kareena. I need not write much about him as already the government is under grill from activists in Jodhpur for this decision. The act of hunting down a black buck, 10 years back is a case still under trial that Saif has as one of the credentials apart from acting in superb blockbusters like Dil Chahtha Hai, Omkara and Parineeta.
At last, Vijendra Singh has found a place in the list leaving behind an equally praiseworthy comrade, Sushil Kumar. Neither does Mallika Sarabhai in the list of Padma Bhushan awardees, nor does Zohra Sehgal in the list of Padma Vibhushan awardees sound a valid selection. Names like Sant Singh Chatwal in the list of Padma Bhushan awardees give a sense of repulsion.
Dr. Ramakant Madanmohan Panda of AIIMS has been awarded the Padma Bhushan for successfully operating upon our dear Prime Minister for 14 hours to complete a difficult bypass surgery. Yes, we respect the act. The doctor has saved OUR Prime Minister’s life. However, Padma awards are not granted to personal favorites or as personal token of thanksgiving. We will not forget how BJP government also granted Padma award to Vajpayee’s doctor from Breach Candy Hospital, so yes, why should Congress government not be equally magnanimous?
There will come a time when Kalam’s words will turn true, each one of us, we youngsters, can aspire to become a Padma Awardee, just dream BIG. Begin dreaming; no matter even if you are tainted. Befriend Hillary Clinton or some American bigwigs, act in at least two dozen movies an year, hit or flop does not matter, get married to an affluent/influential family that has ties with either SP/BSP or some big political party, win an Oscar or else you will have to wait long like Maestro Ilayaraja, if a doctor, then operate upon a big leader, remember to be very careful with his/her life. If the leader is alive post surgery, at least a Padma Bhushan is definitely guaranteed. As for sports, the reasons and the logic is still unclear, get into some controversies like Harbhajan did with Andrew Symonds, more seriously, get a gold Olympic medal and nothing less to affix your place in the list; most importantly, pray to have that stroke of luck which will get you on the list of padma awardees.
I was surprised the last time when Vijendra Singh and Sushil Kumar, the Olympic medalists were left out and shocked when the Bachchan bahu and actor Akshay Kumar claimed the Padma Shri honor with equal ease. May be a Bronze medal at Olympics is just not as good a merit as getting married to the Bollywood Biggy’s son or acting in super flops like Singh is King, Welcome & Chandni Chowk to China.
This time too, the list is no less in providing quotients of surprise.
Rekha, for Padma Shri, this erstwhile damsel of the tinsel town, sure needs recognition, but a lifetime achievement award from Film Fare would be more than sufficient.
Saif Ali Khan gets Padma Shri, maybe for his true love towards Kareena. I need not write much about him as already the government is under grill from activists in Jodhpur for this decision. The act of hunting down a black buck, 10 years back is a case still under trial that Saif has as one of the credentials apart from acting in superb blockbusters like Dil Chahtha Hai, Omkara and Parineeta.
At last, Vijendra Singh has found a place in the list leaving behind an equally praiseworthy comrade, Sushil Kumar. Neither does Mallika Sarabhai in the list of Padma Bhushan awardees, nor does Zohra Sehgal in the list of Padma Vibhushan awardees sound a valid selection. Names like Sant Singh Chatwal in the list of Padma Bhushan awardees give a sense of repulsion.
Dr. Ramakant Madanmohan Panda of AIIMS has been awarded the Padma Bhushan for successfully operating upon our dear Prime Minister for 14 hours to complete a difficult bypass surgery. Yes, we respect the act. The doctor has saved OUR Prime Minister’s life. However, Padma awards are not granted to personal favorites or as personal token of thanksgiving. We will not forget how BJP government also granted Padma award to Vajpayee’s doctor from Breach Candy Hospital, so yes, why should Congress government not be equally magnanimous?
There will come a time when Kalam’s words will turn true, each one of us, we youngsters, can aspire to become a Padma Awardee, just dream BIG. Begin dreaming; no matter even if you are tainted. Befriend Hillary Clinton or some American bigwigs, act in at least two dozen movies an year, hit or flop does not matter, get married to an affluent/influential family that has ties with either SP/BSP or some big political party, win an Oscar or else you will have to wait long like Maestro Ilayaraja, if a doctor, then operate upon a big leader, remember to be very careful with his/her life. If the leader is alive post surgery, at least a Padma Bhushan is definitely guaranteed. As for sports, the reasons and the logic is still unclear, get into some controversies like Harbhajan did with Andrew Symonds, more seriously, get a gold Olympic medal and nothing less to affix your place in the list; most importantly, pray to have that stroke of luck which will get you on the list of padma awardees.
To conclude, if you are an engineer, hard luck, you have to toil to the top, become a CEO of your organization, then suddenly quit it all for politics and print unique identification cards with all fervor. So what if there is a driving license, a ration card, a voter's card, a PAN card, a unique ID is truly unique and tamper proof, you may win a PADMA award for this novel idea.
1 comment:
Love this one DS. You should write more often.
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