Controversy over Padma Bhushan Award

On this year Republic Day, US-based NRI Hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal’s name figured among Padma Bhushan awardees. The civilian award is given on the Republic Day to the person known for excellence and great contribution to the country in a certain field. Padma Bhushan award is given in recognition of contribution made by a person to the country. Awardees must be above all controversies. Sant Singh Chatwal is one of the biggest hoteliers and he is considered to be very close to US President Barack Hussain Obama. He is also considered to be close to Clintons and has played a vital role in bringing the US closer to India. He is also credited with contributing to the strengthening of Indo-US relations and working in this direction for the last 30 years. On the basis of this contribution, he can not be chosen for the country’s prestigeous civilian award. But at the same time CBI has a chargesheet against him for his fraudulent activities in connection with SBI in $ 9 bilion loan. As far his contribution in bringing the US closer to India is concerned, it is the job of diplomacy. For that purpose country’s diplomatic personnel are already working in this direction. So conferring Padma Bhushan Award on Sant Singh Chatwal must be based on his contribution to the country as hotelier and not on the basis that he is close to sucessive US administrations. And one more serious objection that goes against him is his involvement in fraudulent avtivities and tainted background. The awardees must not have tainted background and they must be personality of unquestionable reputation. Gopinath Munde has rightly written a letter to the government for its decision to confer Padma Bhushan on the controversial personality like Sant Singh Chatwal. It is the Union Home Ministry which recommends the names of awardees after thorough debate and discussion. Congress has already washed its hands off the controversy over Chatwal and rightly said that it is for the government’s spokesperson to explain the position. Government is required to come clean over the recommendation of Chatwal’s name for Padm Bhushan award. Conferring the award on controversial individual is belittling its importance . Among the Padma Bhushan awardees this year are noted NRI hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal, eminent neurosurgeon Satya Paul Agarwal and eminent cardiac surgeon Ramakant Panda. All the Padma Bhushan awardees except Sant Singh Chatwal have impeccable record of excellence in their respective fields and court no controversy. The Padma Bhushan award must be conferred on only those who have made great contribution to society in their respective fields of specialisation. As award is associated with the prestige of the country, it must not be mired in controversy.