Form of words:
wooWhat do Karan Johar have in common with Sharif Chacha and Tulsi Gowda? Now Padma Awards.
President Ram Nath Kovind on 8 November given The 2020 and 2021 recipients of the prestigious civilian award in New Delhi. Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri are the highest civilian awards – after the Bharat Ratna – in recognition of contributions in various fields such as social work, science, medicine, literature, sports and arts.
The list of winners made headlines throughout the week, hinting that it is no longer a prize reserved for the elite. The inspiring stories of the winners – from barefoot environmentalist Tulsi Gowda and transgender folk artist Manjamma Jogti from Karnataka to “elephant man” Dr Kushal Konwar Sarma and orange seller and school builder Harekala Hajba – prove that the prize is indeed important to India’s heritage. Honor achievements. and development.
Even industrialist Anand Mahindra, who was considered a distinguished recipient of the award five years ago, tweeted That they felt “deserving” of the award in comparison to individuals who had “significantly contributed to the improvement of the grassroots society”. That’s why “People’s Padma” is ThePrint’s Newsmaker of the Week.
Read also: Journey from orange car to Padmashree started with the question of a foreigner for Harekala Hajba
Democratization of Padma Awards
Since the Padma awards were first introduced in 1954, the type of awardees has been gradually changing. Counting former President APJ Abdul Kalam and Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen among its winners, the awards have started recognizing a wider range of people.
One major reason is that the rewards themselves have become more democratic. While it had already started honoring more Indians who were not popular, the Narendra Modi government started Website In 2017 where people could nominate candidates. The selection process was also changed and the Padma Awards Committee expanded. that year, the winner involve “Grandmother with the Sword” Meenakshi Amma who had been practicing and teaching Kalaripayattu for nearly 70 years, and folk singer Sukri Bommagouda, “The Nightingale of Halakki”, for preserving cultural heritage and social activism.
The number of nominations for the Padma Awards has also been multiplied, The government received 46,000 nominations for the 2020 awards – in 2014, there were only 2,200 nominations. The government also launched Padma Quiz in 2018, an online quiz that allows winners to attend the Padma award ceremony in person at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
From nominating deserving people to getting a chance to attend award functions, the government has changed the way people interact with awards. She is now being referred to as the “People’s Padma” because she has come to represent the best of India’s 1.4 billion population – not just the elite.
It has clearly struck a chord. Videos of Manjamma blessing President Kovind gone viral, and social media users are celebrating the unconventional winners as unsung heroes. It is proof that Indians love to see public winners that reflect the diverse social fabric of the country – rather than highlighting how far we have to go, it is a moment of congratulation for reaching this Is.
Encouraging people to participate in the rewards process has made it more accessible, and truly more audacious. Those who would never have thought of themselves winning some of the country’s highest civilian awards can now.
expert’s rule
That said, it’s important to note that most award recipients are more run-of-the-mill. This may be an ironic statement about people receiving awards for extraordinary achievements.
Even if they don’t like to admit it, government-led awards tend to favor a certain type of person: popular, well educated, respected and well connected. Having influential friends is almost a prerequisite to be considered, and some pro-government propaganda helps as well (the Kangana Ranaut.)
Citizen rewards are also sometimes used as bargaining chips. In fact, the United Kingdom has a well documented history Swapping civilian awards for favors. Earlier this year, Prince Charles’ closest aide quit his job When it was discovered that he had offered a knighthood to a Saudi businessman who donated £1.5 million to his charity.
That’s not to say that the more predictable winners don’t qualify. He has undoubtedly contributed in some way or the other in his field of expertise, even if it is debatable. However, academic and political theorist Timothy Mitchell in his book expert’s rulewrote about how theoretical knowledge and expertise can actually work counterproductively in different contexts. A top-down, generalized approach to a highly-specific local problem may not fix it, but a bottom-up approach by someone with lived experience may.
Following this logic, the Padma awardees of 2020 and 2021 certainly deserve tribute. Who can give respect for environmentalism better than an indigenous man working tirelessly to protect the forest? And who can understand the true nature and need of social work better than an 82 year old Dalit activists and leaders (MK Kunjol)?
They’re also experts – even if they don’t have elite degrees or top connections. And they are finally being recognized and celebrated through the Padma Awards.
Thoughts are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)
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