Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 23: Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Modi Government searches “unsung” heroes and hitherto unrecognized talent for the coveted Padma awards, and added that there is a clear instruction from Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to not only exercise total transparency and objectivity in the selection of Padma Award recipients but also to thoroughly search and discover some of those illustrious persons across the country who have been working in their respective field with absolute dedication and commitment, but could never receive due recognition because they had no time for lobbying for an award or were too busy in their work to find time to roam in the corridors of Powers.
Speaking at a brief but emotional ceremony held to felicitate this year’s Padam Shri Award winner from Jammu, octogenarian writer Shiv ”Nirmohi”, Dr Jitendra Singh said, thanks to the new mechanism of selection which has benefited every State and Union Territory of the country including Jammu & Kashmir where also, in the last four years, some of such luminaries have received Padam Shri whose names were never heard in political circles and who themselves had least expected that they would be given any State award.
Referring to Shiv “Nirmohi”, Dr Jitendra Singh disclosed that this octogenarian author from a small village near Jammu was never seen moving in high circles or seeking high contacts. His greatest attribute was that for the last 50 years, he had quietly dedicated his life to the service of literature and research on monumental destinations and historical-cum-mythological legacy of the Dogra heritage and Jammu region.
To the amusement of all present, Dr Jitendra Singh disclosed that when he sent a message through a common acquaintance asking for Nirmohi’s bio-data, Nirmohi’s bewildered response was, why his bio-data was being sought by someone whom he hardly knew. Dr Jitendra Singh responded by saying to the common acquaintance, “Tell him (Nirmohi), I am asking for his bio-data precisely because he hardly knows me in person”.
Similarly, last year, Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that Padma Shri was awarded to veteran Dogri writer Narsingh Dev Jamwal, because of whom Dogri plays and short stories were translated in different vernacular languages of India, way back in 1960s and 1970s. One only wonders why he was not picked up for an award or recognition, for the last 50 years when even some of the self-styled Dogra protagonists were seen lobbying for others, he said.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, it was during the last five years of the Modi Government, Padma Shri was awarded to 90 years old Jammu based veteran journalist K N Pandita, who has been a regular columnist and thinker for the last 60 years but never received recognition. Similarly, he said, Padam Shri was also awarded to Jawahar Kaul, veteran writer and researcher on Jammu & Kashmir affairs.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
