Ghalib, Sarat Chandra and Subramania Bharati deserve the honour. We tend to ignore our real heroes, and hail superficial ones.
These days, the issue of awarding the Bharat Ratna on Republic Day is in the news. When I appealed for the Bharat Ratna to Mirza Ghalib and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyaya, some people objected, saying that such awards should not be given to people who are no more.
In my opinion, there is nothing wrong in giving awards posthumously, provided they are given to the right persons. The Bharat Ratna has been conferred posthumously in the past. Two examples are Sardar Patel and Dr. Ambedkar.
Mirza Ghalib is a modern figure, not a legendary one like Lord Rama, or an ancient one like Gautam Buddha. Though he was brought up in the feudal tradition, he often broke through that tradition on perceiving the advantages of modern civilisation.
Thus, in one sher (couplet), Ghalib writes:
Imaan mujhe roke hai, jo khenche he mujhe kufr
Kaaba merey peechey hai, kaleesa merey aage
The word ‘kaleesa' literally means church, but here it means modern civilisation. Similarly, ‘kaaba' literally refers to the holy place in Mecca, but here it means feudalism. So the sher really means: “Religious faith is holding me back, but scepticism is pulling me forward; feudalism is behind me, modern civilisation is in front.”
Ghalib is hence rejecting feudalism and approving of modern civilisation. And this in the mid-19th century when India was steeped in feudalism.
Urdu poetry is a shining gem in the treasury of Indian culture (see my article, ‘What is Urdu,' on the website www.kgfindia.com). Great injustice has been done to this great language. Before 1947, Urdu was the common language of the educated class in large parts of India – whether the person was Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian. However, after 1947 some vested interests created the false propaganda that Urdu was a foreign language and a language of Muslims alone.
Mirza Ghalib is the foremost figure in Urdu, and the best representative of our composite culture. Though a Muslim, he was thoroughly secular, and had many Hindu friends. He no doubt died over a century ago, but our culture, of which Urdu is a vital part, is still alive.
I first appealed for the award of the Bharat Ratna to Ghalib at the Jashn-e-bahaar Mushaira in Delhi in April 2011. My appeal was supported by many prominent persons in the audience. They included Meira Kumar, Speaker of the Lok Sabha; Salman Khurshid, Union Law Minister; and S.Y. Quraishi, the Chief Election Commissioner. However, soon thereafter a leading journal described my appeal as ‘sentimentalism gone berserk.'
As for Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyaya, at a recent function in Kolkata I appealed for the award of the Bharat Ratna to him. Sarat Chandra in his stories launched a full-blooded attack on the caste system, against women's oppression, and superstitions (see Shrikant, Shesh Prashna, Charitraheen, Devdas, Brahman ki beti, Gramin Samaj, etc.), evils that plague India even today.
In his acceptance speech at a meeting organised in the Calcutta Town Hall in 1933 to honour him, Sarat Chandra said: “My literary debt is not limited to my predecessors only. I am forever indebted to the deprived, ordinary people who give this world everything they have and yet receive nothing in return, to the weak and oppressed people whose tears nobody bothers to notice. They inspired me to take up their cause and plead for them. I have witnessed endless injustices to these people, unfair, intolerable injustices. It is true that springs do come to this world for some — full of beauty and wealth — with its sweet smelling breeze perfumed with newly bloomed flowers and spiced with cuckoo's songs, but such good things remained well outside the sphere where my sight remained imprisoned.”
This speech should inspire writers in India even today when 80 per cent of our people live in horrible poverty, when on an average 47 farmers have been committing suicide every day for the last 15 years, when there are massive problems of unemployment, and problems in the areas of health care, housing, education, and so on.
I also appeal for the Bharat Ratna to the great Tamil poet Subramania Bharati, who a hundred years ago wrote against women's oppression and was a thorough nationalist and social reformer.
Here is a verse from Bharati, who wrote powerfully in favour of women's emancipation. This was cited in a March 14, 2008 judgment of the Supreme Court of India, written by Justice Markandey Katju, in Hinsa Virodhak Sangh vs Mirzapur Moti Kuresh Jamat & Ors:
Muppadhu kodi mugamudayal
Enil maipuram ondrudayal
Ival Seppumozhi padhinetudayal
Enil Sindhanai ondrudayal
(This Bharatmaata has thirty crores of faces! But her body is one. She speaks eighteen languages! But her thought is one.)
Here is another verse from Bharati:
Gummiyadi! Tamizh Nadumuzhudum
Kulungida kaikotti gummiyadi!
Nammai pidiththa pisasugal poyina
Nanmai kandomendru gummiyadi!
Yettaiyum pengal thoduvathu theemai
Endrenni irundhavar maaindhu vittaar;
Veettukkulle pennai pootti vaippom endra
Vindhai manithar thalai kavizhndhaar.
(Dance and celebrate, so/the whole Tamil Nadu reverberates/that all evil forces which/surrounded us are driven away for ever. Those who declared it was evil/for women to get educated are dead and gone;/The strange men who were for sequestering women/have left the scene in disgrace)
How many people in India have read Ghalib, Sarat Chandra and Subramania Bharati? There are demands to give the Bharat Ratna to cricketers and film stars. This is the low cultural level to which we have sunk. We ignore our real heroes, and hail superficial ones. I regret to say that the present generation of Indians has been almost entirely deculturised. All that they care for is money, film stars, cricket, and the superficial.
Today India stands at a crossroads. We need persons who can give direction to the country and take it forward. It is such people who should be given the Bharat Ratna, even if they are no more. Giving it to people who have no social relevance, such as cricketers and film stars, amounts to making a mockery of the award.
(Justice Markandey Katju is Chairman of the Press Council of India. For the second translation from Tamil, the book Bharathiar Kavithaigal, published by Bharathi Puthaka Nilayam, Madurai, 1964, was consulted.)
Keywords: Bharat Ratna, Mirza Ghalib, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyaya, Tamil poet Subramania Bharati, Chairman of Press Council of India
Great Article Sir. I dont know where This bone less leadership is taking the nation Is Khelrathna award is not eough for sports
If I were to suggest as to who should be given Bharat Ratna, I would recommend that those who have stashed the black money abroad for Bharat Ratna. I would also recommend those politicians who joined politics with a torn pocket and have become millionaire now. I have a long list of such persons but to be brief I would also recommend those ministers who burnt the mid-night oil to ensure that the Lokpal Bill goes back to its old place from where it was lifted.
Dear Mr. Katju
Agreed with your comments, almost. I take exception to the last one. You
being old, doesn't automatically make you 'cultured' or confer on you
the right to be dismissive about the 'present generation of Indians'. I
am young, and love Ghalib, I could out-quote you on Ghalib on any given
Sunday. So, less of the 'high moral ground' please.
Dear Mr. Katju, agree that you're well read, know many languages and was honorable Justice of SC. I also respect your right to endorse bharat ratna for some of our very distinguished people and starting a healthy debate. But i feel hurt personally, when some of you say Sachin Tendulkar is just a cricketer, and hence almost an entertainer and if he's given this award it would be a 'mockery' of the award. I totally disagree. To tell you, I do not watch cricket, but Tendulkar, he's way beyond cricket. When he plays, some million of us forget their worst pains, when he kicks a century or drives a four, millions of us forget their failure in lives and get the inspiration to move ahead irrespective of all odds. And irrespective of all idolism and 'god' status he's given, when he remains humble and to the ground he teaches us a way of mannerism and a way of life. for me he's way beyond cricket Mr. Katju. If u fail to see this as a social service, a merit for highest civilian rewards, pity.
While we are considering other historical figures, why not Bharath Ratnas for Aryabhatta, Sushruta, Panini, Tansen, Amir Kusrau, Raja Ram Mohan Roy and many other such stalwarts from past eras?
Firstly, I have been a great fan of Sachin all my life. However, I'm certainly not convinced that the rules have to be tweaked to award him this prestigious honor. The question is not whether Sachin deserves this honor or not. It is just about the purpose and significance of the award, and whether it is apt to a person like Sachin. Though I watched (on TV) almost all the centuries that Sachin hit, my personal opinion is that Sachin's cricket didn't change the lives of a considerable number of Indians. He may have inspired a number of young cricketers and other sportsmen through his achievements, but that's a different story. It's neither fighting for a cause, nor sacrificing one's life to improve the lives of others.
Athens in the 4th century BC slipped out of its civilization. The likes of Eubulus pleaded for sanity and attention to more objective issues. The toast of conversations were fashion and food to the neglect of all serious issues in governance of people. Civilization ceased. We refer to civilizations in the past not now. Where is it now? I see Markandeya Katju like Eubulus.
As the readers of TOI and the viewers of modern TV, the current generation is not used to being around intellectual people. It therefore is not a very cerebral society and does not understand the difference between contributions of people like Dr. Amartya Sen and someone who can hit a cricket ball better than anyone else in the history of cricket. Justice Katju is spot on.
I don't know who deserve the The Bharat Ratna, but i am sure Sachin or any cricketer/bollywood star does not deserve this highest civilian award. It should be conferred to those person who has made the lives of crore of indian prosperous. A couple of hindi blockbuster or some tons in cricket pitch should not be the criteria to get the Bharat Ratna.
Every "Aam Aadmi" who inspires fellow citizens to participate in our nation-building, community-remaking and society-reshaping is a candidate for the highest honor.
Mr. Keshav: 1. Ghalib was in the court of emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar for very short period of time, and Ghalib was learned & listened by common people. 2. And, even in the court of emperor he was appointed as the historian.3. Ghalib's one poetry is the basis of famous M.K. Gandhi's THREE MONKEY, I am qouting that Sher (Couplet) from that Ghazal.
Na suno gar buraa kahe koi
Na kaho gar buraa kare koi
Rok lo gar Galat chale koi
BaKhsh do gar Khata kare koi
[BaKhsh=pardon, Khata=mistake)
So, in my view its wrong to say that Ghalib was socially irrelevant.
It's a great article brought up by Hindu. It is an insightful essay which is really argumentative. I feel it is important to consider the great contribution to our nation. Their demise can't be an authentic reason to keep them bereft of this prestigious award. I remember a small lesson taught to me as a childhood; "do something such that the world remembers you even after you have left the world." And more over the death is a superficial idea. Ideas and thoughts are the identity of a person and they should be acknowledged. However, the question of awarding Bharat Ratna to film and sports stars is arguable. Just think of the moments when China pulls hundreds of gold medals in Olympics and our country comes back home with few, it is the time which weighs their importance. Moreover, we should not think within the boundaries of just literature as a source of inspiration and change. Sports and films are equally important part of our social life.
I don't know if cricketers/filmstars deserve Bharat Ratna or not.
But there are hundreds of people who are above them who made the country
proud.
nation produced.
And yes, like others have mentioned here, this Nation is alive because of a number of such leaders, and great personalities. Someone wrote each language has a great writer, each state has a great warrior. This is very agreeable and this is what we want. We want to have as many such as greats as we can produce.
Why just ONE Swami Vivekananda, Why just one Mirza Ghalib, why just one Sharat Chandra? Am sure our dear Mother India is capable of producing many more such greats who can do as well and hopefully better than the yesterday’s greats. As a Nation, this is what we should hope for, wish for and strive for. We should always remember them, an award for a living legend is a celebration, an award given posthumously is a prayer, a prayer seeking the blessings of the departed soul to bless us with the ability to better and reproduce their work.Let there be great competition for this award and let it go each year to the best and the greatest this Nation produced.
Like Mr Katju's, article demanding self-regulation of the media, this is another master piece argument.
BHARAT RATNA is a way of recognizing those sons and daughters of this nation, who have raised the bar, who have put this nation and humanity above themselves, who without expecting an iota of self gratification or selfish gain have dedicated themselves to the betterment of the children of Mother India, who make our hearts swell with pride and whose deeds make us hold our heads high, those sons and daughters of this nation, who definitely are truly the RATNA's or jewels in the crown of not just this nation but the WORLD HUMANITY itself.
If BHARAT RATNA is not already this, then I sincerely hope it will be.
I personally think, no matter what field a person comes from, it certainly does our nation a lot of good to identify those greats from amongst our past and present, so we can tell the generations to come that this is our legacy, these are the people of great character that the
This article was written only to create more controversy than anything else. If you want to support the Bharat Ratna to the likes of Ghalib or Sarathchandra, please support them unconditionally, no one will have any problem in that, what is the need to drag sachin or dhyan chand in this, if not, to gain publicity. I wasnt born in the time of dhyan chand, so i cant speak much about that person, but I can certainly say that Sachin has done enough to deserve the prestigious award. He has integrity, passion, commitment and he has inspired the present generation, his counterparts to perform consistently well with honor. We saw the result with the world cup victory and many more achievements. Please do not talk about "Low culture level", it only undermines your level of culture.
I think Bharat Ratna was marginally twisted from the start. An effort was made to award it to Mr Rajiv Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi is still waiting to get his posthumous Bharat Ratna award.
Many have raised the point that if there are citizens who have excelled in their chosen field such that their achievements are extraordinary they should be worthy of the Bharat Ratna.
This debate would necessarily have to quote the words that define who is eligible for the Bharat Ratna.
“Instead of the fields of art, literature, science and public services, now on November 16, Government has notified that for performance of highest order in any field of human endeavour Bharat Ratna could be awarded,”
The choice of words here is - performance of highest order in any field of human endeavour(formerly literature,science and public services).
Contributions in literature raise the human spirit , contributions in science are a service to mankind and excellence in public service is again a service to the nation. This seems to be the characteristic of these fields. Can there be others ? It would be interesting if someone can propose other fields.
Can we add sports to this list?
I just read the comments above. Many people seem to be suggesting that such awards should not be given posthumously to thinkers like Mirza Ghalib and Bharati because that would cause controversy by denying recognition to other poets/scholars/thinkers who wrote in the various regional languages of our country.
I find this view to be quite stupid(for lack of a better word). Awards are meant to recognise people's achievements,not de-recognise others'. Since when possible disagreement with a nominee became a reason not to give the award itself?
I agree with the author that we are getting De-Culturised.However Outstandig achievments in any field must be honoured.Let us honour the greats-even posthumously. I wish the Indian Govt. also Confers a Bharat Ratna to [1]Late Field Marshal Sam Maneckshaw & [2] Late Major Dhyan Chand-The Wizard of Hockey.
Markandey Katju
Sir,
After reading your article “who should get Bharat Ratna”? First thought came in my mind was “ Then Who should get Bharat Ratna”. If Mirza galib and Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyaya not considered to get Bharat Ratna then cricketers and film stars should not be blamed for that or by giving award to them there seems no mockery of the awards. If according to you cricketers and film stars has NO social relevance then let me remind you that only way country is united is by watching cricket match where INDIA wins is socially relevant and you get ambassador for the flagship programme of UPA from rural area just because of charisma of Film actor. Indian Government has made mockery of award by giving to person who has done scam (Bofors) which nobody even thinks of. We have come ahead from our Independence and it’s a good sign that government has agreed to give sports as a category for Bharat Ratna. Sachin Tendulkar is not only playing but he is giving direction to millions of youth in form of hard work, Ethics (for which you are known) and perseverance. Sir, you have mentioned why Bharat Ratna should be given to Galib and Sarat Chandra but please explain why it should not be given to other persons, which according to you are socially irrelevant.
All these literary figures you have mentioned have only preached for removing feudalistic society, but have they contributed anything on the ground? Who heard Ghalib? only nawabs? Just go to watch any cricket match, there you would be able to see people from all castes, religions coming together and cheering for the country. Amitabh's movies have been houseful where people from all sections of society come together. If there are 2 things which unite India like nothing else, they are Cricket and Cinema. It is true even if you don’t like it. It connects the Masses. Have you ever been to a cricket match watching from outside stands? Have you ever stood in the queue for movie tickets? Even if for 3 hours, people do forget anything and everything for it. Think over it.
So agree with Mr Katju! Brilliant argument. The likes of Tendulkar can always wait for an award like this. I wish our compatriots get over with idolising the sportsmen and film stars.
Do people like Ghalib require Bharat Ratna?
They are such people who are beyond boundaries and time.
Just like Gandhi dont need noble prize, instead noble prize will feel
proud if given to Gandhi!!
Adding any title or subtitle to their name will create boundaries around
their name and restrict their reach and appeal.
Why not? If giving millions of people a reason to smile and be proud,
is a less democratic or patriotic job then fighting against British.
Any person who has made India and Indians proud should be given a
ratna. There cannot be a criteria that only apparently serious causes
should be considered. Life is not only about politics, its also
sports, religion, music, movies, literature. Why do we want to shut
down on these aspects of life? Does these aspects less inspiring for a
person and his life? I dont think so. The basic argument is right but
the intent is not. Sachin Tendulkar, Major Dhyanchand are deserving
candidates of Bharat Ratna.
I agree that sachin does not deserve bharat ratna, also awarding bharatratna posthumously can lead to many debates, and there is no end to the list of great people who contributed to the society and country in many ways. But one question arises, who is deciding on the award. There should be transparency on selecting the people who deserve the award. I would say shortlist people who deserve, make a case of everyone’s contribution to the country and society. We can have voting system (Online, SMS etc).
If voting is not possible, at least put forth the list of all the deserving people and their contribution to the country in mass media , like newspapers, have a portal created for the same. Let people and scholars decide and not just some politicians sitting in a room choose to give the award to someone they think deserve the award. Transparency is key and the right person is awarded. For sportperson,actors there is arjuna, khel ratna, palke awards already in place
Very sensitive point to ponder! The person that appears on mind qualifying to become Bharat Ratna should a living or dead individual i) who sacrificed personal interests for national interests (social workers, security/service personnel), ii) who made memorable contributions in enhancing the capability of the nation (scientists), iii) whose work helped exterminate the social ills (authors, poets, artists), iv) who did never work for creating wealth for self and led a life with values (distinguished individuals like Anna). The people in games, and many artistic fields (singing, acting, film making, music, painting etc) too are very important as many who do not fit under the categories listed above. But Bharat Ratnas should be the exceptionally high-value individuals for whom every Indian should feel proud. No one should feel pain when his/her name is recommended for the award.
There are many deserving candidates like Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Udham Singh, Shaheed Rajguru and Shaheed Sukhdev. They deserve the most as they gave us freedoem that we are relishing today.
It is beyond doubt that the achivement of Sachin are not easy for any one to achieve.Inspiration to become a good player or to play cricket & become as rich as Sachin by earning name,fame & money.Those who took bold steps to highlight the evil in our society or fought for no gain should be awared the highest award of Bharat Ratna.Amending the eligibility condition will make the existing parameters diluted & once this process is diluted ,it will become practice.
it is aptly said that ,the most prestigeous of our country has been politised .even if crickters and filmstars are great in their respective places in bringing glory to the nation but it should be reserved for those who served the country selflesslylike swami vivekanada ,swami dayanada saraswti whose thoughts and actions influenced modren india .it is true that making a mockry of it by some people to achive political milage.
The real 'Bharat Ratna' is indeed a small farmer who works hard to produce farm products in a small way and help others, an artisan who puts in hard work to make a good product, a rixa pullar / auto driver who helps passengers sincerely and collects reasonable charges and a government worker who thinks 'government work as God's work' as inscribed on Vidhana Soudha, B'lore.
if one takes Nobel prize as a corollary in terms of contribution and excellence, I dont think rooting for figures like Ghalib isgoing to bear any fruit in terms of pulling the mass out of percieved morass. It will at best lead the publishers to make a renewed and hawkishattempt to come out with his work in a shiny cover.or in the case of social reformers, it wont go beyond some obscure group to claim a long standing allegiance.'the world is too much' with the age we live in.a better idea would be to institutionalise figures like ghalib ,formally and offer as a cultural product and let it seep in. As a reminder, among the many bharat ratnas that have been awarded in past how many people would stand up express the inspiration. The wisdom lies in getting over this fad with mundane awards.
people mourned Steve Jobs,it rarely happens that product and
personality command equal emotions.make the content accessible and
provide enough room for people to appreciate and decide in their
goodstead
As much as one agrees with the author on giving the Bharat Ratna to the legendary people mentioned in the article, it is inappropriate to say that sports persons or film stars do not deserve the honor.For that matter Bharat Ratna can be given to any person if his deeds or achievements testify to having brought social change, fostered unity and brethren among people, rebelled against evil rulers, transformed the political and social landscape, brought a revolution to the help of the needy and homeless, drove the industrial change, etc..The award may or may not be given posthumously. Legends remain legends, Mahatma is no less a revolutionary person just because he did not receive a Nobel. People and history does not thrive on awards. Deeds speak louder than these awards. Sachin Tendulkar thoroughly deserves the award for bringing joy, hope and unity among the citizens of the idol bereft country. He has shown the way to the youth of this country with his humility, discipline and passion.
Bharat ratna should go to none but the 'common man' who is enduring all that is going on around him year after year.
I agree it should be given to the right worthy individual, without any political or other gains, loosing faith in Indian government
It is for the people who change the society at grass root levels. People fighting for minors education going door to door, people fighting corruption, people changing lives of farmers ( major population). We should promote people who work on core problems of our country rather than something which is already promoted.
Bharat Ratna to Anna Hazare for giving voice to frustrated and helpless poor people of India.
India is still living with many social evils that Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyaya addressed in his various literary works. In my opinion he should be given the Bharat Ratna award. This would be a great reintroduction for young Indians and Indian Intellects to revist those works in the current atomsphere. This would also aid in developing much needed new thoughts and solutions to address many social issues including dynastic politics and outdated self imposed leadership in various fields.
In past BR was given to Satyajit Ray,M. S. Subbulakshmi,Ravi Shankar,Bismillah Khan,Bhimsen Joshi and Lata Mangeshkar. They entertained people across the india and legends of Indian cinema and music. "Little Master" is living legend of Indian cricket, So he deserves
Mr. Katju's suggestion for nominating the late poet, Subramania Bharathi for Bharat Ratna award is a welcome one. However, the revolutionary leader of ever great 'Thanthai Periyaar' should also be honoured with Bharat Ratna.
I agree with Mr.Katju that many eminent personalities deserve Bharat Ratna more than Sachin Tendulkar. But i strongly disagree with the way he ridicules cricketers especially Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin is accorded demigod status not only for his on-field records, but off the field too. He's never been embroiled in any late night parties, or with any other bollywood actress. Remember he turned down the lucrative Rs.20 crore per year Kingfisher endorsement in line with his policy of never to endorse liquor or tobacco products. He maintained a decent and disciplined personal life despite achieving national fame at a very young age which is in stark contrast to other sportsperson like Tiger Woods. "Giving it to people who have no social relevance, such as cricketers and film stars, amounts to making a mockery of the award. " - I am particularly offended by this statement. Are cricketers such a lowly people ? It seems Mr.Katju has an inherent dislike for cricket and cricketers. Yes, Sachin doesn't deserve Bharat Ratna, neither does he deserve all these brickbats. As someone has rightly said why pulling down someone's achievements just to drive home a point ? It's just not cricket, Mr.Katju.
Let us leave those great souls like Bharathi,Sarath Chander, Ghalib. Because they expect nothing from this generations.Awards are nothing before their sacrifices.People were feed up with this routine.
With all due respect to Justice Katju's comments, I would like to ask readers to consider the following points. Should an award like Bharat Ratna be given posthumously? I feel only awards for gallantry in battle should be given posthumously. Awards which were instituted after independence would have no relevance to persons who lived in pre-independent India, no matter how great they were. There could be other ways to honour them.
As for Urdu having been spoken as a common language, I think Katju,J has perhaps confused it with a variant called Hindustani. That was a mix between Urdu and Hindi. It is a moot point whether most Indians would be able to understand pure Urdu just as anyone who has not studied Hindi at school may not be able to understand pure Hindi fully. Besides, Urdu today as spoken or rather propogated by Pakistani media has far more Arabic content than the Urdu of pre-incependence India which had a higher Persian content. I would welcome any comments on that.
Very well made article, trying to rekindle the fairness of public and social values. Rajiv Gandhi started to add water to curd making it butter milk to be distributed to gain political mileage. Now the extent of water added made the curd to disappear altogether. The corrupt polity and unpatriotic and greedy public does not have any moral right to decide and offer such honors to greats. Certainly Subramania Bharathi would not accept the honor if he is alive!
People are searching for real heroes to rescue them from daily ordeal.This awards give nothing in return to the real people who suffer in our country.People are lobbying and approaching political kingpins to gain this award. Let us keep our bygone heroes from this affairs. They never except nothing from our generations. They thought only for bright India.
Great article by Justice Katju. Katju is projecting the real heroes in cultural arena. Thats truly need of the hour. Culture is the kernel of the society. If we should not project the real doyens in cultural field, the pygmy type people may become the the heroes to the people. Thats the greatest danger, India is facing at this point of juncture. Thanks to Katju's timely article.
Very well composed article. Giving Bharat Ratna to everybody may encourage "All that glitters is gold".
Bharat Ratna must be given to people who can inspire the next generation of Indian scientists. Jagadish Chandra Bose - the inventor of wireless communication in British India, with meagre research equipment and funds should be given Bharat Ratna.
thanks justice katju to raise the cultural, heritage and social relevance issues in current contex, but Indians needs to cherish the heroes of every field having relevance with their rise and recognition in the world order.
Bharatratna,If Kapil dev is considered as player of decade how come sachin be nominee without him.I dont know how sachin contributed to world cricket, which is played hardly by 20 nations.The awards look more as a media biased stuff.Thanks Markandey Katju for your insight
I have no doubt that Ghalib, Sarat Chandra and Subramania Bharati contributed to social reform in india but so have many others(e.g. Raja RamMohan Roy, Vitthal Ramji Shinde, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Chhatrapati Shahu, Mahatma Phule to name a few). i regard all these great men with reverence. Their contribution to social reforms is well documented and recognized. Does it now need to be recognized with Bharat Ratna posthumously? If yes, then all of them should be awarded Bharat Ratna and not just chosen few. Also people like Raja RamMohan Roy, Mahatma Phule and others actually worked in society to bring about the change and should be considered before writers and poets.
Sachin Tendulkar's achievement and the kind of example he set, gave confidence to lot of people. He showed that Indians can stand up to big powers and craft their own success story. Remember this during the crisis of 90's. By analogy to writers, people who showed the way by their achievement also deserve the award.
So wrong to give a very special treatment to one person ignoring others. Atrocious to change the rules for the person. I am sure Sachin would not approve it either. If sports, I would say there are others ahead of Sachin. Yes, Sachin did well - but I would say Vishy Anand and Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi should come ahead. Yes, Sachin inspired a lot of people - but already millions were watching. Vishy single handedly created a huge following for chess from nothing. (When congratulated on being the first black to win grand slam - Arthur Ashe said, I will be happy when a black wins the Chess title.) In a highly competitive tennis field, and with almost limited facilities at home Leander and Mahesh won the Grand Slams. (Yes, it was doubles. Yet, it was a proud moment when they were no. 1.)
i am also agree with Katju.He has rose a right issue on right time. .Gradully we are going to decline to present our culture on a world label.And really youth are great source to presenting this.But we become blind to see glamours world like film area and cricket.But what about those who working for others.It's time to make awardee them.Thanks to "THE HINDU" for acknowliging us with this matter.
I fully agree with the views of Justice Katju. It is for the individual contribution to the society/country that a person should be given Bharat Ratna. Instead, we find that all the awards of the Government have been politicalised and are being mostly given to politicians and their /cronies since many years as the provisions of the awards have already been diluted. Kurian of Amul -of the Indian Milk Revolution and Dr. MS Swaminathan equally deserve the award. So too, Mukesh Ambani and late Dhirubhai Ambani who had contributed to the Indian Industrial revolution. If the politics has its way in the country, we may soon find persons like A. Raja (ex. Telecom Minister of 2-G fame) and Phoolen Devi (bandit MP)also on the list.
Great article and I completely agree with it, but list of people he mentioned are eminent people but there are quite few more of that generation who are more deserving for Bharat Ratna. Sachin has achieved quite a lot but I don't think he deserve Bharat Ranta. I also think Lata Mangeshkar should not have given as well. I know she is great singer but that can't be criteria to give Bharat Ratna.
give Dr Katju bharat ratna just for writing this article.......:)
Sports and films are important as they give a "Soft Power" to India, but giving Bharat Ratna to these personalities would send a message to Indians that these are much more important then other matters like society,our culture,unity etc. There are already prestigious awards like Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratan and Dada Saheb Phalke Award in these categories which can signify their contributions, but what is required in today's India is to turn the mind of youths away from glamor and money to society and country. Govt. should promote contributions in social work, culture,science and politics too where our youth have lost interest by giving Bharat Ratna too eminent contributors in these fields dead or alive, purpose is the promotion of ideas for nation and society building.
Bharatratna should goes to the person to whom we, Indians, feel proud to our heart.
The Bharat Ratna can now be conferred on any person for performance of highest order in "any field" of human endeavour. So, there is no reason why one out of a maximum of three possible Ratnas per year should not be recognized for their performance of highest order in sports or films. However, conferring Bharat Ratnas posthumously needs to be given a second thought in view of the potential clamouring and practicality issues it may raise for identifying awardees (for example conferring Bharat Ratna on Chanakya now might be a preposterous idea!). I am sure all departed noble souls(Tansen, Mahatma Gandhi and others) will forever be remembered even without a Bharat Ratna.It is my opinion that the award should only be for living persons which would amount to recognition of culmination of a useful life and would contribute to achievement of ego integrity of the awardee.Public clamouring for Bharat Ratna awardees should not be paid heed to.
Dear Mr.Katju, when the present generation of Indians think of Sachin Tendulkar in high regard, that is not because they were raised as TV addicts or because they are mindless consumers. Young Indians who want Bharat Ratna for Sachin Tendulkar are "educated" and "mature" enough to appreciate the universal ideas of Ghalib, Bharati, Tagore, Sarath Chandra, Vireshalingam etc. We see people as Indians rather than seeing them as Tamilian, Punjabi, Bihari or Marathi, we are the ones who could reconcile the ideas of being an Indian and a global citizen at the same time, something tagore had dreamt of. Comments like "deculturised", "low cultural level", "superficial" only reflect your difficulty in reconciling "actual" world with your "ideal" world.
Sachin tendulkar makes a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Tamilian, Gujarti, Punjabi etc..shed their narrow identities to wear the identity of an Indian. Sachin is the representative of this unity, equality, fraternity.
I think the operative phrase here in this award is "service" to the nation. Anyone whose achievements are great while the same dwarf their financial rewards/perks from it are the only ones eligible for "service" technically speaking...
Brilliant article from Mr. Katju. You evoke respect from your writing about the forgotten greats!
Dear Justice Katju, I agree with your view point on conferring an award posthumously for the most deserving writers who totally changed the thinking process of many contemporaties and the future generations, who many have forgotten. Also, I agree with you that these sports persons, film stars shall never be in the list of people to be cherished for awards. The fact is that as referred in your articles about Indian cross culture, majority of our people-Indians are behind either Bollywood stars or cricketers. Shrewd politicians know that by conferring award to these heroes, they can keep a major portion of Indians happy and satisfied, though for a short while, till we have another major issue. The same ancient jimmick followed by old kings. Hope your article will open the eyes of many.
A comment says - "Hasn't the like of Sachin scaled such heights and more? Hasn't Sachin inspired thousands of kids in the following generation to aim for excellence? Isn't he the one key unifying factor in this otherwise divided nation?" well you could argue that it is the love for the sport, cricket, and not any specific individual who brings people together. Sachin is the brightest star in cricket, no doubt, but he owes his influence to the popularity of the sport. If he was playing another sport, say hockey,
then he would be called Dhanraj Pillay and we wouldn't be talking
about Bharat Ratna.
The poets mentioned went beyond their role as artists to become social
reformers- they changed minds, they inspired, they enlightened the
huddled mass of this country and left lasting impressions in society.
Sachin hits balls and does it well and if that inspires some kids to
cricket practice, and improves middle class self-esteem when they
travel abroad, then that's great. But Bharat Ratna?
Mr Katju is very right, give Bharat Ratan to those personalities whose work is sustainable, ever lasting for the humanity. sachin tendulkar made most runs, most centuries, played most ODIs & Tests etc. how long his record will be a record, many are rushing to break his records, and hence will not be remembered for long. second, he is failure in leading the Indian Team as captain, world cup win or success cant be given on his head, he is failure to become a leader of eleven player, how can he lead the nation. like him many have contributed to the cricket even more than him. Kapil lift the world cup, Dhoni, lift the 20-20 world cup, IPL, 50-50 world cup and leading from the front successfully. why not should give him bharat ratan?
i request all the deciders, not to make Bharat Ratan an "annual affair" but Ratan are born in a century.
Once you politicalise an award., and give it away to someone (on the pressure of a regional party)., you please one person or his/her ego., but you bring down the value of the award itself. Regret to say, and i say this without any bias. After the award was given to Smt. Lata Mangeshkar (on the pressure/recommendation of Shivsena) during the NDA rule., the value of the Bharat Ratna has gone down. Today its just like any other award. I agree with Dr. Katju. We have devalued the award., the moment we gave it to Smt.Lata Mangeshkar. No offence meant, but Smt. Lata Mangeshkar's life is in complete contradiction to the spirit of india., and the "idea of india" not to use stonger language.
Excellent article by PCI chairman and former Justice of supreme court which throws light on the justification and very meaning of the India's highest honour award Bharat Ratna. The award cannot be given to someone simply for some achievements which is immediately captured and thoroughly put by print and paper media these days before public and modulate their opinion. The award as noted by this writer is for giving direction to our society for future good and actually on this premise we should honour someone.
It's heartening to see the mostly positive response to a very sensible suggestion. Giving Bharat Ratna to these eminent personalities is one way of bringing back the glory of Bharat Ratna. It will also become an occasion for the people especially children to know about these great sons of India. JRD also certainly qualifies, and so does Sam Maneckshaw for their nationalism and representing all the sacrifices of Indian soldiers.
Sachin has to see this article and he himself needs to decide whether what he has done for the upliftment of the nation .....So many social activists are struggling a lot for the upliftment of the soceity by sacrficing their lives..but what sachin did playing for the nation by taking huge amount of money from the people itself instead of giving it to the people....
I am absolutely in tune with what Mr. Katju has commented. There already remains a long list of those who very well-deserve "Bharat Ratna". One need to contribute to the overall growth and development of the country in order to earn Bharat Ratna and not simply hit balls to score stupid numeric figures.
Bharat Ratna should be awarded to any Indian who brings fame and pride to India in any field.
As justice proposed to giving country highest civilian award to posthumously creat one more confusion and confusion amog selection panel and also differ over various states. If that is the case every states sends an list of all eminents of various filed include politics and now it has opened to sports becomes flooded list and thinks better to postpone indefenetely. Should drop the idea of posthumous and should adopt the criteria of Nobel awards to chose the personalities for that award and give at least couple of awards every year to reduce pressure on that and justify every section of society and segment.
Give it to everybody. Why fight over a silly Bharat Ratna? After all, the Padma awards seem to be available in grocery stores these days. Why make it difficult for everyone to get these awards? Let everybody enjoy. Are we kidding ourselves? The biggest insult would be to those who were given these prestigious awards BEFORE the standards were brought down.
Bharata Ratna should be given to a person who helped his people live their lives happily. It should not be given to selfish people like sportsmen, politicians etc. These category of people are just ambassadors to show to outer world, they are least useful for our country. Please select a person with high self integrity and a real model to follow.
Fascinating point of view from Mr.Katju but I do not see a reason why one needs to pull down someone else's achievement just to drive home a point? What is the significance of Bharat Ratna - It is the recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavor. Hasn't the like of Sachin scaled such heights and more? Hasn't Sachin inspired thousands of kids in the following generation to aim for excellence? Isn't he the one key unifying factor in this otherwise divided nation? Hasn't he brought pride to our nation through sheer respect shown by his admirers around the globe? It is pretty petty and hypocritical of our people to beat our own heroes. If you do not approve of someone so be it but do not humor his achievements! to the benefit of few of my friends who have commented - please check your facts - Dr.Kalam, JRD Tata, Lata Mangeshkar are all already recipients of this honor. Personally I dont see a reason why a sportsman cannot belong here!
Brilliant article written by Mr.Katju who has always been outspoken in venting his thoughts unmindful of criticisms. There are many deserving people who've dedicated their lives to the social cause. This prestigious award should go to someone who has contributed to the society especially the under-privileged and risen their social level. I fervently hope that the Govt. of India thinks before do such thing demeaning the award itself.
Yet another incandescent article by Justice Katju and he is fully right in supporting issuance of Bharat Ratna for the above mentioned sublime erudite literary geniuses but I will request Mr. Katju to take more nuance view of other categories.The Bharat Ratna can be awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour and there is not a piffling doubt in any one's mind that legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand and cricket wizard Sachin Tendulkar do only epitomize the very definition of the award and they are in line in getting the honour very deservingly.Any one who does the motherland proud globally should be considerded for Bharat Ratna.
200% agree with Mr.Katju. Maturity of common man drastically reduced nowadays. They are considering flickering and counterfeits as there hero.
Seems like the author has a soft corner for literateurs. I feel "action" speaks louder than "words." In my opinion, Bharat ratna can be given to any Indian who makes us proud, regardless of his/her field. Millions look up to Sachin; hence, why not him?
I also have some names for Bharat Ratna; Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose, Rani Lakshmi Bai, Gulzar, and so many
After reading the article, I was sceptical about whether this article would earn the ire of readers: it is heartening to see so much sense among the readers of "The Hindu". Justice Katju has pointed out the need to remember the true value of a human endeavor before judging whether someone who excels in it deserves such a grand prize as the Bharat Ratna.
There are serveral of like these personalities in India who has done much more than Sachin etc. Even in sports Dhyanchand stand much ahead than Sachine. BUT I am sure that our politicians will ignore all them, will insult them and peaple feelings and will do what is more profitable to them and their parties. Its all to award them first.
Justice Katju is so right.The hype around giving Bharat Ratna to cricketers or celebrities is so unfortunate.This does shows that how much we have been illusinised by hype of meadia.I do strongaly feel that only the people who have really contributed toward society or its people of recieving such a great honour.
Mr Katju is absolutely right and this is a great article on the debate of BHARAT RATNA. But with time the values and thinkings have been changing and if according to current scenario anyone fits for this glorious Award he/she should be awarded.
I do not agree with Mr.Katju completely. Sport persons and film stars are as important to the country as greats in some other fields. Sport persons in particular are represent the country as a whole to the outside world. And to my knowledge neither Dhyan chand nor Sachin have let the country down anywhere.My only point is not to give Bharath Ratna to people still in service. As someone pointed out, we couldn't foresee the emergency situation imposed by Indira Gandhi. It would be better to give Bharath Ratna to people who have retired from public life.
Better late than never. Eminent personalities who have made outstanding contributions in their own strengths and commitment truly deserve this honor irrespective whether they are alive or not. No attempt must be made to create a controversy in atleast giving away this award.
And similarly, award more cricketers and film actors/actresses with padmashri, padma bhooshan etc. All the problems of the 1.2 billion population just vanish by the sight of these demigods. Just the other day, scores of devotees worshipped their lord Rajni on his birthday. Chant some mantras in the honour of padmashree saif ali khan, padmashri helen etc and all your needs and desires will be fulfilled. Your kids are educated, fed, schools are built, scientists find cures for diseases, food grows automatically, borders are protected and transports are run just by the grace of their lordships--film, tv, media and cricket masters--they surely deserve all the worship "for the distinguised service to the indian society".
Mr. Katju has every right to say what he has just said but calling Cricketers and Film Stars as non-entities is not entirely correct. We should not treat Sachin as a simple player but as a phenomenon that has united India in that turbulent period of time (1990's and 2000's) when all sort of fissiparous tendencies were trying to break India down. In a country where region, religion, language and caste make and define heroes for a community, Sachin has managed to cross all these barriers and has truly become a hero for most of the Indians... Its ugly to treat 21st century Indians as superficial or lose. civilization has many dimensions to it and Sports and Films are significant part of it. Malaysians, Russians, Germans etc don't speak Hindu or Urdu but they love India films, they love Amitabh and Shahrukh. This achievement is not a superficial one.
I don't understand why film starts being looked down upon as if they represent some sort of "inferior" culture. Whether one likes it or not, films in India represent popular culture. To say that our culture has "sunk" to such a level is nothing but "cultural Brahminism" - which tries to brand the culture of the masses as being low and inferior as opposed to the "classical" form of the culture that they are comfortable with. It needs to be remembered that Lata Mangeshkar and the late M.S.Subbulakshmi - have been awarded "Bharat Ratna" - which they fully deserved. In the same vein Sachin Tendulkar who has achieved so much in Cricket and who is arguably the greatest cricketer since Don Bradman - can be seriously considered for such a high award. We live in the 21st Century - patriotism in these days is manifested through collective celeberation of our achievement in different walks of life - be it ARR winning Oscar for music or Tendulkar hitting centuries.
To whom shall we honor with the highest civilian award of India? It does seem as a totally politically motivated and unjustified move to amend the rules for Bharat Ratna so that Sachin Tendulkar can receive one. Sachin Tendulkar is one of my favorite cricketer and entertainer. That he can unify the whole India with his cricket skills is an overstatement. When compared with the contributions towards the Indian Society of personalities who have received the Bharat Ratna award, Sachin's contributions stand nowhere.Have my Indian brothers and sisters lost their rational minds?
Gandhiji should be given this award first before giving to any persson dead or alive.He should be given the highest national award instituted in every civilized country. If he could not be given by some hitch in the rules then nobody else should be given and the very practice of giving awards should be abolished.
"Bharathratna award for sale". When you extend the this highly prestigious award to sports star the next step is extend to film stars. Then what, some one from "Maanada and Mayilada" may even get Bharatratna award. This highest award should go only to the persons of high achievement which have greater impact in the society. While awarding such a high award we should also take into account his/her personal character and integrity.
Excellent article!! And a refreshing one as well. Take a bow!! Kudos to The Hindu as well for encourage such distinguished thoughts. I fully agree with the author that the present generation of Indians has been almost entirely deculturised, people are eager for shallow entertainment and always look for shortcut to success without any real zeal for knowledge. It's a sorry state for a nation who had produced so may greats. Today we completely lost our penchant for good cinema, literature, poetry and so on, not withstanding the role of yellow journalism. I feel pity for myself only when I always need to turn back to the past for inspiration.
I do not think giving sachin this award will be a mockery.Why does the author say that sachin has no social relevance.Sachin unites our country.He has given hope to millions of people in this country.In IPL matches if there is one player who is cheered in every ground then that is Sachin.He is an inspiration to many people .Just by giving an award a person does not become great ,his deeds make him great.He also involves in charity which many of us do not know.Also if any body does not get an award that does not make him any lesser.Its all in how you think.
I am an ardent sachin fan or may be a devotee .Give him or do not but at least do not make statements like its a mockery.
Katju said only half truth. Govt. Award is a vestige of feudal society. The Constitution bans titles but it should have banned all awards by Government. India will be a democracy only when the Government see all citizens as Bharat Ratna. There cannot be a common criteria for evaluating contributions of various people excelling in different fields. How does one compare achievements of Lata Mangeshkar with Sachin Tendulkar or Indira Gandhi? Impossible. A regional politician gets BR (MGR) but not other regional politicians who were equally popular in their States in that era (eg. NTR, Biju Patnaik, Jyothi Basu); only MGR gets the award - were others inferior? How does Govt compare Sachin with AR Rahman or V.Anand? It is discriminatory. Yes, excellence should be recognized and awarded. Professional bodies of the respective field should award excellence in each field a la Oscar. Government should keep off civilian awards.
Lovely article and i fully agree with it. I think Katju sir has hit nail on his head, by clearly pointing out, the truly deserves of prestigious award, rather than superficial ones.
personal excellence should not be the mantra for awarding Bharat Rantna.
I dis-agree that Bharat Ratna should be given posthomusley since it opens up a lot of scope for mis-use and meeting political ends...so you can be sure that Gandhi family will be in queue to collect these awards....but what I do agree is that instead of awarding enteairtment the only people who should be eligible are the one who have made a contributation to make the society a better place
Mr Katju is right and has the courage to speak his mind. Though many may oppose his views, I feel his take on the issue is absolutely right- the award would be devalued if it is given to all and sundry regardless of the sphere in which they achieved eminence. Sachin Tendulkar is a great sportsman and a great son of India but the award of Bharat Ratna should be only conferred on eminent persons who have contributed to the nation's progress and caused upliftment of the people.
Bharat Ratna should be awarded to persons who have contributed to the society during their lifetime like improving welfare of the poor, women; medical personalities who provide health care to poor in rural areas; industrialists who make contributions to development of infrastructure in rural areas; persons or organisations who work tirelessly for national integrity and religious harmony.
For Sports persons we already have the highest Bharat Ratna - i.e. the Arjuna Award which should be valued by every sports person. For film personalities they have there are so many awards given all through the year apart from international recognition too.
Yes I full agree with Shri Katju. Sportsmen are deserving and many more are still to be recognised for their yeoman services to the Indian Society Mr.Kurien of AMUL brought revolution thru rural co-operative movement to bring about WHITE REVOLUTION when even during 1960s we were importing milk powder to feed our people.
It is nice to see someone voice thoughts on this matter. I agree with the thoughts articulated by Justice Katju. Though the awardings makes one wonder about the selection process, it is quite important that Bharat Ratna being the topmost civilian award is given to people who have had a significant impact on the society as that would send a right signal to all. Filmstars ,sportstars inspite of being an exceptional performer of the highest order in their fields, do little to positively benefit the society. One can only hope that due thought is given to the points mentioned in the article, while choosing the awardees.
People who have the sense of reason and logic can only understand what Mr. Katju has explained. Those who are blindly passionate about a cricketer or a celebrity will never understand the above explanation. With all the protest and outcry from sports fans Bharat Ratna's requirements have been diluted by the govt, what a national shame. In most cases, the govt is not taking into consideration of the majority who want to maintain the values and culture, but only those radicals who come out in streets to protest for their reasons without logic. One can only earnestly hope that characters (Tendulkar....) who are about to benefit from this dilution come out in open and say no to this award and reinstate the sanctity of this award.
The day may not be far off for Anna Hazare to be considered for this honor as he has really stirred the conscience of the nation. Conferring posthumous awards to people who are no more is not necessary - do we need to remember them as just Bharat Ratna awardees? Persons like Bharathiyar would live in our hearts for centuries through their works. People who have done extraordinary service to the people of India should be considered when they are alive so that they could cherish such awards during their lifetime.
I agree with Rajbir above to some extent. If we start giving Bharat Ratna posthumously then there will be so many contenders who have raised their voices for the injustice on the people and social taboos that we'll end up giving the award to hundreds if not thousands of pre - independence reformers !
Who should get Bharat Ratna depends on what day you are talking about it. Just now, the Rules have been modified to bring in Sports persons perhaps to ,to accommodate Sachin!I do not think that thge Rukles specifically provide for popsthumous award. But that has been done. When we do not care to honour a person when alive why trouble him in the grave!
So,who should get Bharat Ratna is a very wide open question!
Giving Bharat Ratna to a person that is no more in existance is not good think , we have many living legand that really deserved this award for example - scientist who deserved most for making human life easy. Awarding from this award to sportsman is not imminent b'cos for playing they are getting a lot of and they did nothing for human being.
I thank GOD that we in this day and age have a person like Mr Katju, who has the guts to call a spade a spade, without fear, and is willing to air his views...... even when he occupies this position of authority. The editor who published the ‘sentimentalism gone berserk.' should be shown the door and given marching orders.
Opinion may differ on whether one should be recognised by giving Bharatratna posthumously, but what Mr. Katju said is right. Presently, media are more interested to dwell on sex, film stars and cricket when 80% of India is reeling under the great oppression, corporatization and neliberalism, let loose by the elected representatives of people(Present Govt), who are greedy, self-serving and corporate worshiper; they are doing this to serve the interests of corporates and corporates and corporates.
Justice Katju is absolutely right, the highest award in the land should be for exceptional & yeoman service of individuals in service of the nation. People who have only made tons of money, asked for duty exemptions for their Ferrari's are not in the right bracket for such awards. Sportsmen have the Arjuna awards in their segment. Bharat Ratna should only be for rare & exceptional services otherwise it becomes a mockery & nothing else. Popular appeal is not the criteria for deciding the Bharat Ratna.
In the absence of interest in the real heroes and least bothering about our heritage and culture, the top most awards are waiting to lose their credibility by awarding them to so called self-proclaimed heroes. The persons selected for this award should add value to the award and not depleting its value. And other thing is that the jury for awarding this should have some value system.
I am partially agree. it is pertinent to say that our honourable Galib was renowned and committed himself in field of Sher'o' shayari, poetry etc and we should not forget him. But ever we are extending our steps forward and looking a exemplary person who can inspire others to follow the path and grow the name of country in world. I think though we are going to become a developed nation and besides our country is also a agricultrue principle country, hence award should be in the field of agricultre, by which our agriculture industry can be groomed and inspire others.
That's right, Justice Katju, agree with his views. Much scientific thinking has to be evolved by having values, culture. Bharat Ratna should reflect and transpire those views into Indian Minds and transform the society from our false beliefs.
If the Bharat Ratna is an award for achievement in one's chosen field,it becomes insignificant and pointless.There are numerous awards in every profession which recognize excellence.Normally,those adjudicators are better placed to critically examine achievements in each field. If the Bharat Ratna is an award for "services to the nation"-I fail to see how any sportsperson, artist, writer or pet contributes to real nation building.The only ones who qualify, theoretically anyways, are politicians.Anyway,these awards only increase meaningless jingoism.One should not read too much into them.
Spot on! I totally concur with Justice Markandey Katju. We have become a 'shallow' nation that gloats and prides itself in ephemeral accomplishments. Well said sir, well said! I hope our leaders at the 'top' pay more thought in such matters.
Kudos to Justice Markandey Katju for an article like this; he certainly has his heart and mind in the right place. These poets were social reformers, were visionaries, who peered far into an enlightened future and tried to carry the parochial, bigoted, primitive minds of their day with them; to usher them into a better world. Children must be taught their works, people must debate their ideas, our culture at large must celebrate them. Giving them a posthumous Bharat Ratna alone might not make them cultural rock-stars, but articles like these certainly help.
Cricketers and film stars are entertainers; they have their place in society. But their influence suffuses our cultural climate so strongly, like cheap perfume, it chokes.
Thank you sir, i am expecting such comments from the persons who eleted as representatives of people.I appriciate your bold comments. Hope every body will understand the importence of bhart ratna. How Sachin will expect Bharat ratna. Because of madness on cricket and films, today people are thinking like that. We are really insulting the real heroes who sacrifice their whole life for the society and nation.
Iam agree with Mr.Katju. What the thing is going wrong today? is that our youth is not ready to carry whole indian face they think that materialistic life means globalisation. They are very intrested in glamour world and make them as a role model. Today we forget our own value remember one thing. culture lost means dignity loss, dignity loss means identity loss... One never achieve sky without achieving his own ground..
It makes sense not to give awards to dead people. Alfred Nobel did a great job when he put this condition over the Nobel Prize. If this were not so, we would start giving awards to everyone since Aryabhatta, or Charaka. These are still OK, but then we'll soon have groups fighting for awards to be given to people whose existance can't be verified in the first place, but whose legendary contribution has a large following - Rama, Manu, Shiva, Parvati, and God knows which other folk lore character.
I totally and fully agree with you. I think we need more and more people like Justice Katju who can act like talisman to our society thriving on mediocrity. We need to remind ourselves that true ideals are those who showed the path of change to the entire society. Sachin can be awarded even after he retires from Cricket but we need Bharat Ratna for people who have made a real contribution and not just inspirational.
we should raise the standards and not bring them down,otherwise in future only cricketers , filmstars,music directors,industrialists will be Bharat ratnas and entertainment,wealth instead of social justice will be the priority.
If at all it should be given to a sportsman,It should be Major Dhyanchand,followed by P.T.Usha,Abhinav Bindra,Mary Kom. Sachin Tendulkar can wait.
Sports stars & film personalities should be restricted from receiving the Bharatratna. They are doing nothing for the country. What does the country gain if person plays for 24 hrs a day. In my view the true heroes are the scientists who constantly strive to discover or invent something new so mankind is benefited from it
I had always believed that the process of Bharat Ratna award, is politicized.Every now and then,we hear the names of political leaders like Kanshi Ram,Bhairo Singh Shekhawat etc. being put forward for the foremost civilian award,quite expectedly by the ardent followers of these leaders.There has always been an Bharat Ratna award reserved for any Congress leader from Gandhi family.When some individual is recognized worldwide (like Amartya Sen, Satyajit Roy),then the national award is bestowed on them;otherwise no effort has been made to estimate their contribution towards humanity,towards culture,towards nation.Consideration of Sachin,in similar line,originated from mass mania.In these pretext, the names of Ghalib, Sharatchandra or Bharati come as an incredibly sweet note. There as so many more like them whose contribution, benevolence is confined in certain communities;there case needs to be more advocated.The committee should be neutral and holistic in nominating and awarding the award.
i know mr. katju will draw in a lot of flak and might even be deemed a heretic in a nation where cricket is a religion. but i cannot disagree with him no matter how much i love cricket or indian cinema. Personal achievers and social benefactors need to be dichotomised. sachin,no matter
Well said. Ever since govt. has paved the way for sportsperson to get Bharat Ratna, I have been listening strong clamor to give award to some specific person. But I can not understand the logic. There are many persons whose substantial and meaningful contribution have not taken into account. Most of us even unaware of them. Thanks to author to bring them to our notice. They are really worthy, and they should be first in line when the selection panel consider the choice for conferring Bharat Ratna.
it is heartfelt appeal by Justice Markandey katju wich is really a thought provoking and grassroot statements.We shoul not let such a prestigious award go to those having no Social attachment and relevance.Therefore remebering our legendries , we must go forward to giving Bharat Ratna it was meant for.
The move to liberalise the rules for Bharat Ratna is misguided and is to be opposed. Even as the demand for grant of Bharat Ratna to an ace cricketer has come up, it is follwoed quickly by a similar one by an ace shooter, Abhinav Bindra. Government also seems to be in a modod to liberalise the rules as is seen by its move. Bharat Ranta is the highest award in this country and it has to be given to the selected few who have distinguished themselves. There are other awards which could go to the ace sportsmen. Justice Katju is thus correct in his views.
We see so many institutions are giving awards in every known field on earth.The TVs also organizing grand shows for the distribution of awards.in variably we find some people are getting awards in one place or other again and again.In the film industry all the woods like Holly.Bolly and Kolly give away annual awards.It is time Government stop of awarding every year since it is creating so many controversies which do affect the performance of deserving ones. Awards ans rewards should not become stale and in popular.
Bharat Ratna can be awarded to posthumous figures who have contributed greatly to our knowledge , society and culture.It should also take into account the great scientists ,mathematicians and academicians of India. Subramanya Bharathi , Periyar and Srinivasa Ramanujam deserve a Bharat Ratna as they have given invaluable contributions in their spheres of activities.
VERY WELL WRITTEN!!!! Dr Singh and PMO should read before giving Bharat ratna to cricketer and film star..it will be great disrespect toward people like Dr AMBEDKAR who work for entire life for oppressed people. what change SACHIN and AMITABji brought to the life of people who are facing day to day trouble these people can not come in support of LOKPAL in public.. Is they are doing great service too nation? they are making money for theme self when you need help form them they will give you BAT or T-SHIRT that they wore in world cup..WOW!!! What A Great Public service..and finally I think by making this sportsman eligible for BHARAT RATNA GOVT made huge mistake they will make mockery of BHARAT RATNA...
It is absolutely correct to give Bharat Ratna to the great scholars even posthumously if required. But as you have correctly said that India is at a cross roads and giving Bharat Ratna to cricketers and Film stars reveals another truth that the horizon of the thinking of people is widening. sports , arts as dimensions of excellence should be encouraged for younger people to pursue them as careers. today an indian family is conseravtive enough to not to allow their kids to follow their passions, in such cases these awards can bolster the thought that success has no boundaries. But yes rigorous and absolutely detailed analysis should be done before giving the awards so that only great and exemplary people recieve it.
While I agree with the majority of what you said, where you are going wrong is making the clear demarcation that sportsmen and film stars have no social relevance. World-class sportsmen and film stars (and I don't use the word world-class lightly) are just as socially relevant as Sarat Chandra, Bharathi and Mirza Ghalib, and there are lessons to be learnt from their lives just as much as the above three. According to your rule, some scientists might not appear immediately socially relevant (in the sense that they might not exhort people to think about the societies they live in, would you call them socially irrelevant?), would you exclude them from the Bharat Ratna list?
Cannot help but agree with Katju - "This is the low cultural level to which we have sunk. We ignore our real heroes, and hail superficial ones. I regret to say that the present generation of Indians has been almost entirely deculturised. All that they care for is money, film stars, cricket, and the superficial." In a way, the leadership of the country is responsible for such a situation, because today even schools don't encourage core cultural activites - all the dance shows in schools are based on either Modern Bollywood Songs, or a variant of that.
Bravo Justice Katju for your bold and candid views which reflects the serenity of your noble mind. Let's hope that your outcry reaches the right minds (if at all they have some) who are at the helms of affairs of our country. There is no doubt that the present superficialities which have plagued our country; India since long time ago, should vanish into the sky, like a vapour and good-sense shall prevail in the contemporary world.
This article of Mr.Katju urgently calls for the attention of the society-reformers and patriots to rejuvenate the patriotic fervour among our countrymen.But the subject of Bharat Ratna need not be linked to their names since they are far above the title and giving it to the other persons that have made India truly proud in eyes of the rest of the world should be the objective of the committee of selection.
If posthumous awards are to be given - Jamsetji Tata for giving us causes to be proud of; our first steel mill; corporate values that have endured and for fighting British bureaucracy. Nani Palkhivala for saving the Constitution - time and again. H.M. Seervai - for having rendered excellent service to Govt. of India as a Supreme Court lawyer and his book - Constitutional Law of India.
Artistes: G.N.Balasubramanian, Madurai Mani Iyer, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar - for their contribution to carnatic music and concert templates.
Sportspersons - Vijay Merchant, Lala Amarnath, MAK Pataudi, Mhd. Nissar, Nari Contractor, B.S. Chandrashekhar, Ajit Wadekar, S. Venkatraghavan, E. Prasanna, Dilip Turkey, Dhanraj Pillay, Bhaichand Bhutia, Prakash Padukone, Ramanathan & Ramesh Krishnan .....There are so many artists, performers and even bureaucrats. What a shame is the award is now conferred on a select few - without really celebrating achievements of individuals!
I am agree with u.but i don't know what about other.In india a genuine person never given respect and any award like bharat ratna.I think some time,Our ancestore given fredom to think right way and do right think independently but still yet we are not.So what will happen our india future think on it........
Mr. Katju is one hundred per cent right. I salute him for having read , understood and appreciated such diverse greats , the likes of Ghalib and Bharati.I have no doubt that Bharati deserves Nobel prize. In fact the prestige of the Nobel Prize will be enhanced if they do so. Bharati's topics in poetry includes Jesus, Allah, different nations and their leaders; romantic love; patriotic fervour;paertnal advice to kids; inspiring urgings to the timid. A genius that India can be proud of . The world can be and the Nobel prize committee can be proud of.
I completely agree with Justice Markandey Katju. This message has to be spreaded.
Men of letters like Gahlib, Sarat Chandra and Bharati certainly deserve the highest honour for their achievements.This would show the way forward for our people.In fact there are many freedom fighters and artists who might be honoured in the same manner. At the same time cricket or film field need not be seen as frivolous areas because they also contain many who have done yeoman service to their respective fields.The award can be given to a contemporary figure or posthumously provided the choice encourages the youth and other people of the country to give their best in the field of their choice- be it science, engineering, arts, sports or social or national service.
Justice Katju is right. Urdu is a made in India language. It is as Indian as can be (true that it imports several words from Arabic & Farsee but so does Hindi of today from English!). Urdu is the most poetic language possible. The finess of romantic expression in Urdu cannot be expressed in Sanskrit based languages to the same degree (Bhojpuri or Eastern UP Hindi might do some partial justice sometimes). A recognition and revival of Urdu is in order, since HIndi has been resusitated. For sure, Urdu is NOT a Muslim exclusive thing. A Wiki search showed 41 recipients of Bharat Ratna to date. The awards to PMs and RPs (~12) are too politically laden. They compromise Bharat Ratna, if awarded after their office. They should be kept out of the award's ambit. Some recipients like Rajagopalachari, BhagwanDas, Pant, Visvesvarayya, Karve, Roy, Tondon, Kane, Bordoloi, Ali need to be promoted (they draw blank looks of 'Who' from most Indians.) Thank to Jusice Katju for injecting sense.
Majority of the Bharat Ratna awardees have been politicians (few were statesmen too). Politicians should not be given this honour while in office. Allow then to retire from public and his/her contribution be measured. Indira Gandhi's award was given after the Bangladesh war. Emergency was not in the horizon at that point of time.
Sir, I agree with you completely. At the moment it seems like commercial media and the Entertainment industry is successful in SUBVERTING all our role models ...Instead of intellect of Swami Vivekananda or Albert Einstein.... it is Commercial Heroes who inspire the youngsters ....Please save India from this IDEOLOGICAL exploitation ...Thanks to The HINDU for raising these issues .
It was not just in 1947 when Urdu was attacked as a foreign language. See a very nicely written book 'Hindi Nationalism' by Alok Rai.
This I totally agree. As a student, many a times I wonder had these award being awarded for political gains. I think so. Handling such honors to film stars could bring fan-votes. What will the politicians gain by awarding the real heroes who are no more...
Excellent article. Everybody bats for sachin. i bat for lalu prasad yadav.Whatz difference
I cannot agree more. As Justice Katju says that we are ignoring our real 'ratnas' and instead falling for flickering lamps. No doubt that Sachin Tendulkar has great records in cricket, but there are two issues being ignored. With all due respects to him, Sachin's records are of personal nature and so the shout of 'Bharat ratna for Sachin' seems more of popular cult worship that we are used to. Secondly and most importantly, he sought duty exemption for the Ferrari car gifted to him and also sought tax concession for the money earned through his commercial endorsements, which were both granted, strangely. The richest cricketer seeking for such exemptions is not only an insult to the poor Indians and honest tax payers, but is also hardly an "inspiring" act expected of a deserving candidate for Bharat ratna. He is simply not one!
Could'nt agree with Katju more. His transparent thoughts speak volumes of rapidly deculturalising so called 'rising' India. The govt's move to change the criteria for the award of Bharat Ratna is to extend it to the likes of Tendulkar, The Bollywood Khans and so forth? The Padma awards are already corrupted. The govt should spare the Bharat Ratna for those with social relevance and contribution. After all, whatever the sport stars or movie stars bring to their country, it cannot be strictly defined as contribution, but a chosen career that brings fame to thyself in the course of excellence. It does nothing to a society still struggling to stand up on its feet at large. Nation building should be the primary criteria for selection for Bharat Ratna. Political office is not again a criteria to judge nation building, because that is what the politicians should do and one should not confer an award for the obvious. in this regard I would also like to add names such as VOC & Vishveshvaraya.
Excellent article! While I highly commend the author's intention of giving importance to the real heroes, you can't just say that the present cricketers and filmstars are just superficial heroes. It's like comparing apples to oranges. Everyone impacts the society on their own way. Anyone who inspires a common man is a HERO!
Sachin Tendeulkar has contributed a lot to bring the pride and prestige of the country above the sky and So was Dhayan Chand.But To amend the rule only for awarding the Bharat Ratna to Sachin Tendulkar is like mockery and can consider as act of degrading the prestige of so prestigious award.Specially When Leader Like Atal Bihari Bajpai ,Sheed Bhagat Singh and Rajagopala Chidambaram (Participated equally as Dr Abdul Kalam to build the Nuclear Bomb And ensure the Safety of india)are in line then awarding the Bharat Ratna to Sachin tendulkar is only a political stunt .There are many freedom fighter ,who has scarified their life for the liberty of india ,has not been consider for this award so far.Our soldier who has given supreme scarifies in four wars, has not been awarded the Bharat Ratna.before Sachin Tendulkar ,nobody has consider the name of Dhiyan chand.Nobody has consider the name of Major Som Nath Sharma ,Bikram batra and many more Param vir chakra winner for it,who desrve it most
If Ghalib and Saratchandra are to be considered for Bharat Ratna, there will be demand for conferring Bharat Ratna on dead litterateurs of all other languages in the country. There are men of letters, for example in Malayalam, who are undoubtedly equal to or even greater than these two that the writer of this article proposes for awarding Bharat Ratna. And of course, in other languages of India also, there could be many who deserve to be awarded Bharat Ratna posthmously. And there will be no end to it. So it is better not to confer Bharat Ratna on those who died recently or way back in the past and confine it to the living.
Very well said Mr. Katju . I fully agree with you on Ghalib and others and especially on your views on the present generation
Very well said - social relevance as a factor would make the Bharat Ratna a distinguished award whose relevance is not diminished by sheer numbers. If at all we have to award performers in the field of art and literature and sports , another award could be set up.
Bharati doesnt need Bharat Ratna.
His words will last as long as world exists.
funny to see no comments. The title should be "Y should Sachin Tendulkar should not be given Bharat Ratna" in a second people would flock in the comment session. Anyways Good that Hindu didn't politicize this thought. Good journalism.
Giving highest civilian award to people like Sachin and Dhoni is nothing
but mockery of award. Definitely Sachin don't deserve Bharat Ratna.
Another great article by Justice Katju though he might face brickbats for opposing Bharat Ratna to socially unrelevant celebrities. Justice Katju should have been a journalist .We would have had a Hitchens but without the war mongering.
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