New Delhi: Celebrated playback singer Sandhya Mukherjee refused to accept the Padma award on the eve of Republic Day. The 90-year-old veteran vocalist and musician in the Bengali industry was offered the Padma Shri by a government official over a phone call on Tuesday afternoon.
She is the second person from West Bengal to refuse a civilian honour. Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee also turned down the Padma Bhushan saying that he was not aware that he had been named for it, and he would reject it if it were so.
Soumi Sengupta, her daughter, told India Today that her mother declined the honour because, “To confer a Padma Shri to a legend like her at the age of 90 is extremely demeaning”.
Both Mukerjee and Bhattacharjee are not the first to have turned down the Padma awards. Other prominent Indians have also either returned or not accepted Padma awards in the past.
Salim Khan: The writer refused to accept the Padma Shri in 2015 saying that it was too late and others had received it much earlier. “My contribution to cinema has been much more than what is being offered to me (as an acknowledgement). So, I have refused to accept it, ” he said
Romila Thapar: The historian turned down the Padma Bhushan in 1992 and 2005 saying that she only wanted to “accept awards from academic institutions or those associated with my professional work.”
Sitara Devi: The legendary Kathak dancer refused to accept the Padma Bhushan in 2002 saying, “it is my insult and not an honour”. The exponent was upset that those junior to her had received Padma Vibhushans, and declared that “I will not accept any award less than Bharat Ratna.”
Khushwant Singh: The late journalist was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1974, but he returned the award in 1984, in protest against the siege of the Golden Temple by the Indian Army (Operation Blue star). In 2007, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan.
EMS Namboodirpad: CPI (M)’s former General Secretary late EMS Namboodirpad was the first among the left leaders to decline a Padma Award. He was chosen for Padma Vibhushan award along with BJP’s AB Vajpayee in 1992 by the then Congress government led by PV Narasimha Rao. While Vajpayee received the award, the Marxist veteran declined it.
Parkash Singh Badal: Former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal returned Padma Vibhushan in 2020 in support of the farmers’ protests.
Lakshmi Chand: The family of this Gandhian and freedom fighter refused to accept Padma Vibhushan posthumously honour as he was against accepting state honours.
K Subrahmanyam: The Strategic Affairs analyst declined Padma Bhushan in 1999, stating that bureaucrats and journalists should not accept government awards.
JS Verma: The former Chief Justice of India’s family refused Padma Bhushan in 2014 after his death saying that he himself would not have accepted the honour.
K Shivaram Karanth: The Kannada literary doyen returned his 1968 Padma Bhushan to protest against the Emergency declared 1975.
Jayanta Mahapatra: In 2015, one of India’s foremost writers in English joined the list of people returning awards by announcing to give up his Padma Shri as a mark of protest against the “growing intolerance” in the country.
