On the eve of Republic Day 2022, three persons from West Bengal — musician Sandhya Mukherjee, leftist politician Buddhadev Bhattacharya and tabla player Anindya Chatterjee — have rejected the Padma award. However, they are the latest example of this trend of rejection. Before them, many Bengalis have returned the Padma honours given by the Central government.
On Tuesday, Former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee refused to accept the Padma Bhushan award. The government officials also contacted Sandhya Mukherjee to offer her Padma Shri award. However, she also refused to accept the award and said that she is not willing to be named as ‘Padma Shri recipient’ in the awards list.
If one looks at it, it will be seen that several people who have returned the Padma awards so far are Bengalis. Famous Bengali theatre Shishirkumar Bhaduri refused the Padma award in 1959 as a protest against the central government’s neglect of the theatre. “I do not want to send the wrong message to the people that the central government has ever given importance to the role of theatre in national life,” he said. When the government wanted to honour Shishir Bhaduri Padma Bhushan, he was 70. The Congress government was at the Centre. Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister. In Bengal too, the Congress was in power. Bidhan Chandra Roy was the Chief Minister. While returning the Padma honour, Shishir said, “State honour is just an attempt to form a team of praises.”
Like Shishirkumar Bhaduri, Padma Bhushan was rejected by a Bengali journalist, Nikhil Chakraborty. He refused the honour bestowed on him in 1990, saying that a journalist should not be burdened by the state’s generosity. Bengali singer Tarapada Chakraborty returned the Padma Shri in 1974. He specialises in kheyal and thumri songs. In 1972, Tarapada was awarded the Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship, the highest honour of the Sangeet Natak Academy. He returned the Padma Shri citing personal reasons. Bengali singer and music director Hemanta Mukherjee also returned the Padma award. Apart from Bengali and Hindi, he has composed songs in at least 10 different languages.
In 1988, the Center offered him the Padma Shri. Hemanta refused to take the award. Although he did not give any particular reason.
Bengali dramatist Badal Sarkar has repeatedly been denied the Padma award. In 1972, he returned the Padma Shri honour. Badal received the Sangeet Natak Academy Award four years ago. Returning the Padma, saying that he got the best honour as a writer by Sangeet Natak Academy.
Later in 2010, the Center wanted to give him Padma Bhushan but Badal Sarkar did not take it. However, in the meantime, there are Bengalis who returned the Padma honour at first but later agreed to accept the higher Padma awards.
Veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee is the first name on this list. He returned the Padma Shri in 1970. Later in 2004, he agreed to take the Padma Bhushan because he ‘didn’t want to hurt the emotions of the fans’.
Bengali sarod artist Buddhadev Das Gupta did not want to take Padma Shri in 2011. He said, “Many young and incompetent artists have received Padma honours before.” The next year, in 2012, when he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, he agreed to take it.
Read all the Latest India News here
Comments
0 comment