Padma awards and Asom
Sir, The Government of India has declared this years Padma awards. Asom has
got a disappointing tally of only two awardees. Posthumous Padma Bhushan to
late littérateur CP Saikia and Padmashri to Dr. Temsula Ao give an impression
that many other deserving candidates have been overlooked. It seems our
government machinery is too pre occupied with law and order and survival to
give any serious consideration to forwarding the names of the deserving
candidates for the Padma awards. Since 50 years of inception of the Padma
awards, less than 45 Asomiya personalities have been conferred these awards.
Only one Asomiya personality has been awarded Padma Vibhusan, the second
highest civilian award. The recipient was former Chief Minister Bimala Prasad
Chaliha. Literary giants like Surjya Kumar Bhuyan, Nalini Bala Devi, Maheswar
Neog, Atul Chandra Hazarika were not given anything more than the Padmashri.
Many deserving candidates from Asom have never been awarded these titles.
Most of the times, our State government and the concerned bureaucracy have not
been very effective in identifying and forwarding names of the deserving icons
from the State. Otherwise how so many of our literary and cultural giants have
never been conferred these awards. Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi, Jogesh Das, Birendra
Kumar Bhattacharya, Hem Barua, Mitradev Mahanta, Binanda Chandra Barua,
Ambikagiri Rai Choudhury, Bishnuprasad Rabha, Tarunchandra Pamegam, Phani
Sarma, Parbati Prasad Barua, Raghu Nath Choudhary are some of the names which
come to my mind. All these icons were alive when these awards were instituted.
Neighbouring West Bengal has till now produced about 20 Padma Vibhusan awardees
compared to our single score. There must be something wrong in our nomination
process or may be our government machinery is too preoccupied to give this area
a serious thought. The Government of Asom without any political undertone or
other motives should vigorously lobby for the
deserving candidates from the State.
Some of the names which government should seriously consider for nominations in
coming years are Zubin Garg (music), Homen Borgahain (literature), Hiren Gohain
((literature), Nalinidhar Bhattacharjya (literature), Hiren Bhattacharjya
(literature), Sobha Brahma (art and culture), Dulal Roy (art and culture),
Khagen Mahanta (music), Mamoni Roysom Goswami (literature) etc., The list will
be quite long and it becomes quite frustrating when one sees many people
getting awarded just because of their proximity to Delhi government circle or
the press. Arm chair conservationist like Sunita Narain gets awarded with
Padmashri where as likes of our Dharanidhar Boro risk their lives day and night
to save our wild life and forest in Kaziranga. Yours etc., CHITTARANJAN
PATHAK, Perth, Australia.
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