The government on Saturday conferred with civilian awards including Padma Vibhushan awarded to former Chief Justice of India JS Khehar, noted doctor DN Reddy and Kathak danseuse Kumidini Lakhia and violinist L Subramaniam. Padma Vibhushan was also posthumously awarded to Osamu Suzuki, noted writer MT Vasudevan Nair and folk singer Sharda Sinha.
As many as 19 persons were awarded Padma Bhushan including noted journalist A Surya Prakash who served as Chairman of Prasar Bharti and had a stint with ‘The Pioneer’ as consulting editor and columnist as well as founder Director of Pioneer Media School.
Noted economist Bibek Debroy, former Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi, former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and noted singer Pankaj Udhas were also conferred the prestigious Padma Bhushan.
Sadhvi Ritambhara, the firebrand leader of the Ayodhya Ram Temple movement, Hockey goal keeper PR Sreejesh, filim director Shekhar Kapoor and veteran journalist Rambahadur Rai, actress Shobana were also given Padma Bhushan.
As many as 113 persons were awarded Padma Shri including 30 people in the unsung heroes category. A 100-year old freedom fighter from Goa, a Dhak player from West Bengal who trained 150 women in the male-dominated field and India’s first woman puppeteers are among 30 unsung heroes who were awarded Padma Shri, a government statement said on Saturday.
Libia Lobo Sardesai, who played an important role in Goa’s freedom movement, cofounded an underground radio station — ‘Voz da Liberdabe (Voice of Freedom)’ — in a forested area in 1955 to rally people against the Portuguese rule.
Also among the awardees is Gokul Chandra Dey, a 57-year old Dhak player from West Bengal who broke the gender stereotype by training 150 women in the male-dominated field.
A vocal advocate of woman empowerment, 82-year old Sally Holkar transformed once dying Maheshwari craft and founded Handloom school in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, to give training in traditional weaving techniques. Born in America and Inspired by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar’s legacy, she devoted five decades of her life to revitalise 300-year-old weaving legacy.
