The Centre on Tuesday discovered major embarrassment was in store for it when the Punjab Agriculture University’s senior scientist refused to accept an award from the Union Minister after sharing the dais with him.
Dr Varinderpal Singh, the Principal Soil Chemist at PAU Ludhiana, won the Golden Jubilee Award as well as the Gold Medal for the Best Work done in the Field of Plant Nutrition — a honour he gracefully turned down in support of the protesting farmers.As the name of 48-year-old senior agriculture scientist was announced, Dr Varinderpal went up on the stage, but not to accept the honour from the Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers DV Sadananda Gowda, but to refuse it.
“I feel I would be guilty to receive the award at the moment,” said Dr Varinderpal before he handed over the copies of the letter, he wrote to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to the Union Minister and Fertilizer Association of India director Dr Satish Chander.
Dr Varinderpal, who received the Golden Jubilee Award in recognition of his work in the field of plant nutrition, said: “Once the PAU-LCC technology goes to the farmers, it can annually save about Rs 750 crore in Punjab only, and in total India, the savings of the government would be in billions.”
“I am thankful to you for giving this technology a recognition,” he said while addressing the Union Minister and FAI director Dr Chander on the stage during an event organized by the Fertilizers Association of India in New Delhi.Notably, the PAU scientist has led a research team which worked on developing the PAU-leaf colour chart (PAU-LCC) technology for optimizing consumption of urea in field crops. The team, also comprising Dr Bijay Singh, Dr RK Gupta and OP Chaudhary, won the ‘Award for Excellence for the Best Work done in the field of Plant Nutrition’ which include Rs two lakh cash, a Gold Medal, and a Citation.
The award was given for creating incentive for high quality research amongst scientists in India in the field of Plant Nutrition.
Continuing his brief speech, Dr Varinderpal said: “I have a humble submission that at this time of crisis for the nation, when our farmers are on the road, my conscious does not allow me to receive this award. So I wish that we shall work together for the nation and the government shall listen to our dear farmers.”
“The work I did is only for the farmers and for the nation, so I feel I would be guilty if at this moment, I receive this award…My only feelings are that we should jointly work for the farmers, we should jointly work for the Government of India, so that we can built our India a great nation,” he said while concluding his speech by saying, “I support farmers”.
Despite repeated appeals, he refused to accept the award, much to the Union Minister’s surprise.Notably, to express their solidarity with the farmers’ ongoing agitation against the central farm laws, Punjab’s sportspersons, writers, poets, artists, environmentalists, former cops, and even politicians, including former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, have returned their awards and honour.In more symbolic support to the farmers’ protest on Delhi borders, a son of freedom fighter Krishan Singh of Makboolpur Bhaini village, Gurcharan Singh, announced to return his Tamra Patra at a farmers’ protest sit-in at Rod Jagir in Patiala district.
‘ANYTHING SHORT OF COMPLETE ROLLBACK WOULD BE BETRAYAL TO OUR FARMERS AND COUNTRY’
Dr Varinderpal, in his letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi written to refuse the Excellence Award by FAI, asserted, “Anything short of a complete rollback of these laws would be an act of betrayal to our farmers and the country.
Giving reason for his refusal, PAU scientist said: “I don’t want to receive this award from any government official because of the unnecessary pain being inflicted on peacefully protesting farmers by the Union Government.”
Beginning his letter by saying that he was “neither a politician nor a terrorist”, Dr Varinderpal said that he was writing as an “Indian professionally dedicated to the welfare of farmers”, and requested the Prime Minister “to immediately announce withdrawal of these laws in Parliament”.
“Ignoring the farmers’ demands and keeping them on roads in this winter is not in the interest of the nation. Please listen to the voice of India. Anything short of a complete rollback of these laws would be an act of betrayal to our farmers and the country,” he said in his letter.