The recipients of the highest civilian award in India The Bharat Ratna are soon going to be announced by the government. The award which is conferred ‘in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order’ is likely to be given to some high profile politicians this year. Speculations are on the rise that this year the list of awardees which are going to receive the prestigious award might include Lal Krishna Advani, Kanshi Ram and Pranab Mukherjee. Bharat Ratna or ‘Jewel of India’ is given usually to a maximum of three people in a year, but just like an exception was made in 1999, this year too the government is likely to announce four names for the prestigious award. Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (posthumously) and former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee had been the recipients of the Bharat Ratna the last time it was awarded in 2015. Former deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and Kanshi Ram along with former President Pranab Mukherjee’s inclusion in the list of recipients will be a great sign for the Indian democracy.
There had been widespread demands for bestowing the Bharat Ratna award on Dalit leader Kanshi Ram for his services towards the Dalit community of India. The inclusion of his name will give BJP the chance to take away the charm from BSP leader Mayawati. Mayawati has used the name of Kanshi Ram to woo the Dalit community and has misused the great name of the leader for doing politics. Kanshi Ram and his ideas for the upliftment of the Dalit community are praiseworthy and BJP bestowing the award on him would also send a good message to the community. Pranab Mukherjee has also been considered as a deserving candidate for the role, the widespread appreciation in his long standing career as a politician and then the President makes him suited for the award. L.K. Advani is not just a senior leader of the BJP but also the one who made BJP and its politics relevant in the country. Shri Advani deserves a lot of praise for making BJP the party it is today.
BJP is getting a great chance to change the way people think about the central leadership today. While Kanshi Ram and Pranab Mukherjee might have had differing opinions with the BJP in terms of politics on many issues, there had been rumors about a tiff between L.K. Advani and Modi-Shah duo too. BJP has an excellent chance to quash all such rumors and show its warmheartedness.
The Bharat Ratna which was first awarded in 1954 to C. Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and C.V. Raman is the highest award a civilian can get. The awardees come from a wide pool of arts, literature, science, public services and ‘any field of human endeavor’. A total of 45 awards have been given till date which includes 12 awards which were given posthumously. The recommendations for the award are given by the Prime Minister to the President, winners receive a sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a peepal-leaf shaped medallion on which the State Emblem of India with the national motto, “Satyamev Jayate” is inscribed.
