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Respected Prime Minister,
India is a nation of 1.4 billion souls, brimming with talent, sacrifice, and selfless service. Yet, each year, a handful of “chosen ones” are elevated to the Padma awards list—barely a hundred or so out of this vast ocean of achievers. And in seventy-five years, the Bharat Ratna—our highest civilian honour—has been conferred on just 53 people, barely three a year, sometimes none. For a country that calls itself the mother of democracy, we seem to run our national honours like an exclusive, invite-only club in Lutyens’ Delhi.
Contrast this with Europe:
- Germany, with 80 million people, awards its Bundesverdienstorden (Order of Merit) to 1,500–4,000 citizens annually.
- France, through its Légion d’Honneur, recognises 3,000+ contributors every year, plus hundreds of foreign achievers.
- The UK hands out roughly 2,400 honours twice a year, across science, arts, social work, and community service.
Meanwhile, India—the land of a billion dreams and countless unsung heroes—scrapes together about 120 Padma awardees annually and calls it a day. Are we saying that out of 1.4 billion Indians, only a few dozen are worthy of national recognition each year? Or is it simply that the rest never reach the corridors of power where nominations are read and considered?
The truth is uncomfortable. The selection process is a black box: a few bureaucrats and “experts” in Delhi decide who enters the nation’s honour roll, often guided more by proximity to power and media visibility than by genuine service. It is not only flawed—it is shameful.
A few names should haunt our conscience:
- Guru Vishal Ramani, Bharatanatyam exponent in California, who trained 10,000 students in our tradition, nominated a decade ago—never acknowledged.
- M.S. Subbulakshmi, ignored in her prime, refused to accept a belated Padma award.
- M.S. Viswanathan, titan of Indian film music, never adequately honoured.
- S. Janaki, a legendary playback singer, declined the Padma Bhushan as it came decades late.
- SP Balasubrahmanyam, adored by millions, recognised far too late.
- South Indian achievers, by and large, have been afterthoughts on this roll call.
- Dhirubhai Ambani, who transformed India’s industrial landscape, never received a Bharat Ratna. Nor have Azim Premji, NR Narayana Murthy, or others who built livelihoods for millions.
- Dr. V.S.M. Sundaram, a humble doctor in Vadakkencherry, in Palakkad District of Kerala, served 50 years without billing patients, treating the poor for free—yet went unrecognised. If that is not Bharat Ratna-worthy, what is?
And yet, we had the wisdom to honour a 40-year-old Sachin Tendulkar—undoubtedly a phenomenal sportsman—but thousands of lifelong contributors died without even a “thank you” from their nation.
Prime Minister, a great nation must be built on meritocracy and gratitude. Recognition is not a luxury; it is a moral duty that inspires generations. The numbers must change. India should have at least 5,000 Padma awards every year and 500 Bharat Ratnas over the coming decade. We have no shortage of achievers—in science, arts, rural service, social reform, education, spiritual scholarship—only a shortage of willingness to look beyond Delhi’s grapevine and page-3 celebrity lists.
What must change:
- Reconstitute selection committees to include citizens from all walks of life: scientists, artists, teachers, judges, spiritual leaders, industry veterans, NGOs.
- Ensure regional representation through state and city-level sub-committees to identify local heroes.
- Keep politicians and bureaucrats out—let merit, not favour, decide honours.
- Accept nominations transparently from industry associations, high courts, universities, voluntary organisations, citizens’ groups.
- Publish criteria and shortlists—sunlight is the best disinfectant.
India does not suffer from a scarcity of talent, only a scarcity of imagination and fairness in recognising it. It is time to open the windows, scale up, and give a billion people the conviction that service to the nation will not go unnoticed unless they have the “right connections.”
Because as long as national awards remain a game of proximity and political patronage, we are not celebrating excellence—we are merely hosting an annual round of musical chairs in Raisina Hill’s parlour. And India, Mr. Prime Minister, deserves infinitely better.
With deep concern for our forgotten heroes,
Mohan Murti
Advocate & International Industry Arbitrator
Managing Director-Europe (Retd.), Reliance Industries Ltd., Germany
Member of Supervisory Board, Innoplexus AG, Germany
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.