It began with Shishir Kumar, more who refused ‘Padma Samman’
Dhaka: India's highest civilian award, the Padma Samman. The Padma Award was introduced on 2 January 1954 by the President of India. The Padma is awarded by the Government of India in recognition of its special contribution to the nation. The awards were given in three categories namely Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
On January 25 this year, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi announced the list of recipients of the Padma Award. Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has refused this year's Padma Bhushan award from that list.
Buddhadeb Bhattacharya himself said in a statement, "I don't know anything about the Padma Bhushan award. No one told me anything about this. If I was given the Padma Bhushan award, I would refuse it. '
Not only Buddhadeb Bhattacharya but also three others have returned the Padma honors given by the government from West Bengal this year. Former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Geetashree Sandhya Mukherjee and prominent Tabla player Anindya Chatterjee.
The refusal of the Padma honor began with the playwright Shishirkumar Bhaduri. The then Congress government at the Center felt that this eminent personality of Bengal needed to be given Padma Samman. And Shishir Bhaduri was 70 years old then. Refusing to accept the honor bestowed on him by the government, the eminent artist of the theater said, "The state honor is in fact an attempt to form a team of flatterer."
Since then, for decades, many prominent Bengalis have politely returned the Padma Samman.
Prominent journalist Nikhil Chakraborty rejected the Padma Bhushan in 1990. At that time there was a Congress government at the center. He made it clear to the Center that a journalist should not be burdened by the generosity of the state.
Hemanta Mukherjee, the artist of the golden age of West Bengal, returned the Padma awards like Sandhya Mukherjee and Anindya Chattopadhyay. He refused to accept the Padma award given to the eminent artist by the Center in 1988.
West Bengal playwright Badal Sarkar has returned the Padma award more than once. He was first awarded the Padma Shri in 1972. He refused to take it. Four years ago, Badal Sarkar received the Sangeet-Natak Academy honor. Badal Sarkar said that as a writer he has got the respect he deserves. He does not need any new respect.
The only exception was Soumitra Chatterjee, a prominent Indian actor. By returning the Padma award in 1970, he received an even higher honor. Explaining the reason for accepting the Padma Bhushan award in 2004, he said, "If this honor is not taken, the fans will be hurt emotionally."
‘Balo Bir Chiro Unnata Momo Shir’
Seeing the storm of rejection of Padma award, Nazrul's rebellious poem comes to mind again and again. In the words of those who have rejected this honor, it seems that in the greed of getting an honor, one's self-dignity cannot be sacrificed in any way.