Leave Padma Shri, let’s turn our attention to State awards. It’s all manipulation. Those who deserve it don’t get it, those who use their power and influence are honoured for being closer to the corridors of power. If Moma Kanna got an award, he still did something for India, but what did they do whom we see being haloed by the State government, questions Nasir Hussain Bhat.

This refers to recent hue and cry about the Padam Shree award given by centre to former timber smuggler turned government killing machine, Moma Kanna. The question here is why we making such noise about this. He deserves Indian award because he has done lot of services to India Government and ditched and killed thousands of Kashmir’s. Who else other than him deserves this award. He deserves award but instead of giving him civilian award he should have been given award like Veer Chakra or Ashok Chakra.
 Padam Shree is an award which is given by Indian Government. What about the State Awards announced by JK Government on eve of Jan 26. State awards those who achieve something in their sphere. After seeing news I went through each and every name that the awards were conferred and come to the conclusion that they were just mockery and have been given to only near and dear ones.
 Someone whose profile is just ordinary but happens to be closer to the rulers in the office gets an award. That is ridiculous. Another mockery I noticed was in Journalism and Sports category. It took state Government 50 years to honour Late Sonaullah Bhat (posthumously) editor-in-chief, Urdu daily “Aftab” and so late an award was conferred on Sofi Ghulam Muhammad (posthumously) editor-in-chief, Urdu daily ‘Srinagar Times’.
 The question is that were not they worth while for state honour all these years, I think they would have rejected it if they would have been conferred while being alive. So Government though it better to give them posthumously. The others who have been given were mostly from national media and I wonder what they have done for J&K. Don’t we have here any one in the entire journalist fraternity who deserved it. In Greater Kashmir alone there are so many capable and dedicated writers who have done lot of work and deserve honours.
 Last year the only Olympian of state was honoured after 20 long years and is yet to receive that. In Water Sports the one who deserved it better than any one was Zahoor Ahmad Latoo. Zahoor has won more than 50 national medals for state in last four years and has never let down his team in national arena. He has even played in international event for India and is most successful player ever that JK has produced. But his name has never come up for award.
 Another player, Kuldeep Handoo is from Jammu whose number has been as serial number 1 on the list given by sports council to GAD department from last many years but still he never got it. He is international Wu-Shu player and has won numerous laurels for state at international level. Getting awards by using influence is no award, we need to honor merit.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 9 Feb 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 9 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 IST