Saturday, February 09, 2008

Pranab and his Award

Padma Vibhushan Pranab Mukherjee said that there should be no room for controversy about is getting that award.

He is absolutley right. No room for controversy. It is WRONG that he was given the award.

To see the contrast, see the conduct of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad here.

Another similar story is that of the First Bharat Ratna awardee Sir M Vishweshwarayya. When the cabinet decided to honour him with that award, no one wanted to inform him! Because of his reputation as a man who did not mince words.

Prime Minister Nehru himself wrote to him and requested him to accept the award. True to form Sir M V wrote back sayaing that he did not want to accept that award if it curtailed his freedom in anyway to criticise Nehru's government if the need arose. Nehru, equally gracefully wrote back that it was for such upstanding ways of his that he was being given that award. It was only then that Sir. M V accepted the award.

Alas, unbelievable, in these days of "moral pygmies"

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous10:49 am

    Last week, late Lal Bahaddur Shastry's son Anil Shastry had been to Karnataka & visited few major cities. He was given a great welcome in each city.

    He said in an interview later that it is because of his father & his valuable contribution to our nation, that people recognize him even today.

    Alas, it is a history that we used to have great leaders in our society.

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