Days before Republic Day this year, media reports outlined the arrangements for this year’s grand parade down Kartavya Path. One report said: “Shramjeevis (workers who helped build the Central Vista), their families, maintenance workers of Kartavya Path, and other members of the community such as rickshaw-pullers, small grocers and vegetable vendors will be seated in front of the main dais during the parade.” The theme of this year’s celebrations was the “participation of the common people” in all R-Day events.
Two months later, the glittering Padma Award ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan has reaffirmed that, indeed, the Narendra Modi Government is the common man’s sarkar.
Emphasis on the work
The Press Information Bureau, outlining the journey of the awards to become a true people’s award, said: ‘’Over the last few years, the Padma Awards have given more emphasis to the work done by the nominees, than to their identities. Further, departing from the traditional approach where selected persons recommended the nominations, the nomination process has become increasingly broad-based, with nominations being opened to the public at large. This has made it possible to recognise the real heroes at the grassroots levels, whose tireless efforts and remarkable feats have touched lives in their communities and beyond.”
Of course, many a public figure, politician and favourites are given these awards, but what makes these awards so rich and deserving is that the majority goes to the common citizens – almost all of them tireless trailblazers at the grassroots level, unsung heroes and heroines who have toiled for decades to bring a better life to their communities.
In November 2021 when Harekala Hajabba of Karnataka received the Padma Shri, the Ashoka Hall broke into raptures. Hajabba, uneducated himself, sold oranges on the street and spent his hard-earned money to open a school for children in his village so that other children don’t go uneducated.
Heart-warming stories
In the so-called `good times`, the likes of Hajabba or 66-year-old Ratan Chandra Kar (called ‘Jarawa ke Jeevandata’, a retired Government doctor from Andamans working with the Jarawa tribe) to Hirabai Lobi (called ‘Siddi Ni Shakti’ for dedicating her life to the betterment of the Siddi community in Gujarat) to 99-yearold VP Appukuttan Poduval (called ‘Kannurana Gandhi’ from Kerala’s Payyanur), this year, too, has several genuine heart-warming stories of ordinary heroes.
The Modi Government deserves salutation for rewarding and awarding the common man, and for allowing him to attend the ceremony (through Padma Quiz). Truly, the Padma Award is now, perhaps, the most equitable and egalitarian award – an award of the Republic for its best, irrespective of caste, creed or stature.
