(KC Kalkura)
The clock is set on to search for the prospective Padma Awardees to be announced on the eve of the 2023 Republic Day Ceremonies. Awarding Bharat Ratna to Vajpayee was fine. He was alive. However, he was unconscious. Posthumously Awarding Malaviya too was not a mistake, both in 2015. The first recipient of the posthumous award was Lal Bahaddur Sastry in 1966. It was in recognition of his brave, short period of Prime Ministership. He humbled Pakistan in 1965 and resurrected the lost humiliation caused by the Chinese. Then, Indira Gandhi, the late Prime Minister was honored. The list thereafter includes celebrities such as Vinoba Bhave, Aruna Asaf Ali, Jayaprakash Narayan, Kamaraj Nadar, M.G.Ramachandran, Dr B R Ambedkar, Moulana Abul Kalam Azad, and Nanaji Deshmukh. Since there is a considered opinion that the Award should not be conferred posthumously, a time frame shall be fixed to overcome it.
Award to Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar
During the election year 2014, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government raised a controversy when Crickter Sachin Tendulkar was chosen for the Padma honor. It was alleged that the cricketer was selected to appease the sports lovers, particularly the cricket fans. Though the scientist CNR Rao was also selected for the award, dissent was not subsided.
Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya deserved Bharat Ratna more than anybody else. It is very apt to demand to confer Bharat Rathna on former (late) Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao (PV) and former (late) chief minister of A.P N.T.Rama Rao (NTR). There is no denying their credibility and eligibility for the highest civilian Honour. Almost all the Premiers of the Provinces of the Indian National Congress Governments of pre-independent and the states of post-independent India were really great. Without fear of contradiction, some of them were greater than PV and NTR. Legendary personalities such as Govinda Vallabh Pant, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, Rajaji, Kamaraj, and B.C.Roy were honored with the Bharat Ratna in their lifetime or immediately after their death. Gopichand Bhargava of Punjab, Bordoloi of Assam, Pandit Ravi Sankar Sukla of M.P., Krushna Chandra Gajapati, Hare Krishna Krishna Mehatab and Biswanath Das of Orissa, Mahammad Yunus and Sri Krishna Sinha of Bihar and B.G.Kher of Bombay are almost forgotten heroes.
Three Kesaries
There were three Kesaries during the National Movement: Maratha Kesari, Bal Gangadhar Tilak; Punjab Kesari, Lala Lajpat Rai and Andhra Kesari, Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu. Prakasam’s saga of sacrifice has rare parallels in the history of the National Movement in India. It was considered once ‘Andhra is Prakasam and Pakasam is Andhra’. He was the Premier of Madras in 1946 and the first Chief Minister of Andhra State in 1953. It is said that, if all the States in India had one or two eyes during the freedom struggle, Andhra had three: Gogineni Ranganayakulu, popularly known as N.G.Ranga, Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramiah and Prakasam. Who was the third eye among them? All of them were equals. A leading light in the Hyderabad Liberation Movement was Swami Ramananda Teertha, mentor and master of PV. All of them deserve the honor earlier than PV, NTR, and anybody else.
Constitutional expert, Bengal Narasingha Rao was the Hon. Constitutional Advisor to the Constituent Assembly of India. He studied important Constitutions of the major countries, went to those countries, studied their functioning, and prepared the Draft Constitution. The draft was discussed and debated in the Constituent Assembly, consisting of 299 members, and adopted with additions, alterations, and modifications. Rao drew a conveyance allowance of Rs.250/- per month and provided a rent-free, furnished bungalow. The most studious member of the Drafting Committee was Sir Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayer, earlier Advocate General of Madras. He was so learned that he had the biggest Law Library in the world. In fact, all the 299 members of the Constituent Assembly deserve Padma Awards.
This is not to raise any controversies, but just to set the matter right. No ill will or bias against any one of those rewarded. By honoring some more leaders of Indian National Congress of Pre-independent India, like J.B.Kripalani, K.M.Munshi, and Subhas Chandra Bose, the BJP Government will certainly come in for appreciation. The Indian National Congress held its 40th Session in Belgaum in 1924. Gandhiji presided over the Session. The Session was famous for the adoption of its language policy. It was resolved that the Provinces (States) should be re-organized on a linguistic basis and the administration carried on in the language of the provinces.
It also demanded that Vernacular be given a place of primacy. Renaissance Movement was in full swing all over the country. Patriotic songs and poems were written and sung in political, social, literary, cultural, and economic gatherings. Even after the independence, the Govt of India turned a deaf ear to the demand. Prime Minister Nehru said: “Creation of archipelago of linguistic islands will be on my death bed.” He was ably supported by Chief Minister like Rajaji of Madras. There were all the four Southern Regional linguistic regions in the State; Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Tamil. Area wise Telugu-speaking territory was larger than the Tamil-speaking area. Demand for the creation of Andhra State could not be suppressed. Potti Sriramulu, veteran Gandhian, committed Social reformer and seasoned freedom fighter undertook fast unto death and was martyred. A visibly shaken Nehru not only announced the creation of Andhra State but, appointed the States Re-organisation Commission under the chairmanship of Justice Fazal Ali. Pandit H.N.Kunzru and Sardar Panikkar were the other members. As per its recommendations, with minor alterations, Indian states were reorganized on a linguistic basis on 1st November 1956. It was a smooth transition. So Potti Sriramulu was responsible for redrawing the political map of the country on a linguistic basis. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “If only I have eleven more followers like Sreeramulu I will win freedom from British rule in a year.” He undertook three fasts, during 1946-1948, in support of Dalit (a heterogeneous group of oppressed Hindu castes then referred to by Gandhi and his supporters by the contentious, though well-intentioned, term Harijan) rights to enter holy places, such as the temples of Nellore. He fasted in support of Dalit entry rights to the Venu Gopala Swamy Temple in Moolapeta, Nellore, rights which were eventually secured. He again fasted to receive favorable orders, passed by the Madras government, to further uplift the Dalit community. Unfortunately, he is now considered a Vysya Community leader. Though he did not espouse the cause of the Community, by and large, it does not disown him. He should be ranked among the Bharat Ratnas.
At the same time, some deadlines shall be decided to award for those who are no more. It will be more fitting if all the Padma Awards are conferred like the anointing of Sainthood in Christianity; only Posthumous, after a circuitous process. Matnuri Krishna Rao, a Telugu writer, and Journalist of the days of the Renaissance Movement said, Adhikaranahamuana choodavale ayyavari soubhagyamul. (Judge the eminence of the leader at the end of his power – Life (అధికారాంతమునందు చూడవలె నయ్యంగారి సౌభాగ్యాముల్). Though the spiritual leaders of the various Mutts are called Jagadgurus, founders of the philosophy, Sankara, Madhwa and Ramanuja were not Jagadgurus in their lifetimes. They are eternal JAGADGURUS and BHAGAVATPADAS. It was not conferred by any Emperor or any other temporal earthly power. Nobody can confiscate it from the human memory.
(K C Kalkura, advocate, President,Gadicharla Foundation, Andhra Pradesh Library Association (Vijayawada -1914) Telugu Basha Vikasa Udyamam, Kurnool)