This Article is From Jan 30, 2010

I deserve the Padma, say new claimants everyday

New Delhi: They are among the most prestigious awards given away by the government, but this year the Padma Awards committee's choice is creating one furore after another.

Just as the government is trying to control the fire about former CBI accused NRI hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal being given the Padma Bhushan, new claimants are cropping up every day.

Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar has taken his fight for a Padma Award right to the Prime Minister. He hasn't stopped with the letter, but also galvanised opinion on Facebook.

Referring to Chatwal, he says "Instead of choosing public service as an MP, I should have chosen to be a restaurateur in New York to be recognised by my country!"

And it is not just Chandrasekhar. The 2002 Asian Games gold medallist in Snooker, Yasin Merchant, has also written a letter to Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi even though Gandhi has nothing to do with the Home Ministry's award committee.

"Since he is the future and the hope of our country, in my letter I've asked Mr Gandhi to look at the system through which sportspersons have to apply for these awards. We have to get letters from MPs and MLA letters. I think it is a ridiculous system where sportspersons have to run around politicians. In the end, it's not the merit which is rewarded," he says. (Read: Padma snub: Cueist writes to Rahul Gandhi)

Yasin has also written about being overlooked twice and what he calls undeserving people being rewarded instead.

"I have actually been wondering about the selection process since the last nine years. And I'm also at loss to know what more I need to do to get this award?" (Watch: Yasin Merchant upset with Padma snub)

The 11 time national snooker champion's name had been recommended for the Padma Shri in 2001, but he missed out on it. The Cue Sports Federation of India once again recommended his name to be included in the 2009 list but again he was not selected.

The Home Ministry guidelines say the committee chooses people with distinguished service in various fields. These are then approved by the highest offices in the country, but the degree of controversy over the awards this year perhaps calls for more transparency.
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