Two persons hogged the limelight for rejecting the prestigious Padma awards after the Indian government announced the names of the awardees. Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya
and legendry playback singer Sandhya Mukherjee refused to accept the Padma
Bhushan and Padma Shri, the country’s third and fourth highest civilian awards.

Also Read: Padma Awards 2022: Check full list here

“I
know nothing about this award. No one has told me anything about it. If they
have decided to offer Padma Bhushan to me, I refuse to accept it,” news
agency PTI quoted veteran CPM leader as saying.

Also Read: What are the awards and medals that will be given out on Republic Day?

“Buddhadeb
Bhattacharya who was nominated for the Padma Bhushan award has declined to
accept it. The CPM policy has been consistent in declining such awards from the
state,” the party said on Twitter.

“Our
work is for the people not for awards. Com EMS who was earlier offered an award
had declined it,” it added.

Also Read: Neeraj Chopra gives thanks for Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Padma Shri

Sandhya
Mukherjee, who is one of the most famous singers of Bengal, has rejected the
central government’s offer to confer the Padma Shri award on her.

The
90-year-old singer refused to accept the award as she felt that the honour came too late. “Does anyone give Padma Shri this way? They do not know who I am!
Should I take Padma Shri at the age of 90? And will I accept the honour just
with a phone call? There is no respect for artists anymore,” an annoyed Mukherjee was
quoted as saying by Anandabazar Patrika.

Also Read: Vinod Dua, veteran journalist, dies at 67

“I
have said, I don’t need Padma Shri. The audience is all mine,” she added.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad rejected Bharat
Ratna

However,
this is not the first time eminent people refused to take any award from the
government. Previously, India’s first Minister of Education Maulana Abul Kalam
Azad and freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose’s family declined to take the
Bharat Ratna.

In
2020, the former chief minister of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal, a 2015 Padma
Vibhushan recipient, returned the award to express his solidarity with farmers,
who were protesting against Farm Laws.

Also Read: Padma awards: Which Sobha Singh testified against Bhagat Singh?

34 women to receive awards 

On the eve of Republic Day, the Home Ministry announced the list of recipients of the Padma awards, India’s highest civilian awards. A total of 128 eminent personalities from various walks of life have been honoured this year with the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri awards. These awards are conferred by the President at ceremonial functions held at his official residence – the Rashtrapati Bhawan – around March or April each year.

This year’s list comprised 4 Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri
Awards. 34 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from
the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 13 Posthumous awardees.

Former
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh and India’s first Chief of Defence
Staff General Bipin Rawat who died in a helicopter crash were awarded Padma
Vibhushan.

Also Read: Manjamma Jogati: Transgender folk dancer who was conferred The Padma Shri

Cyrus
Poonawalla of the Serum Institute of India, which manufactured COVID-19 vaccine
Covishield, and Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella of Bharat Biotech, which
produced India’s indigenous Covid vaccine Covaxin, were given Padma Bhushan.

Microsoft
CEO Satya Nadella, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, chairperson of Tata Group
Natarajan Chandrasekaran were conferred Padma Bhushan.