The Politics of Padma Awards

A man who said that any dog can buy a Padma Award has been honoured with Padma Bhushan by the Modi government. And he accepted it with pride. The man is Vellappally Natesan, one of the many third-rate politicians of our country.

Ten years ago, an autorickshaw driver died in Kerala while trying to save the lives of two cleaners who were trapped in a manhole. The government of Kerala granted an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh to the driver’s family. Vellappally Natesan’s spontaneous remark was that the government’s magnanimity was aroused only because the driver was a Muslim. “Noushad’s family was given this compensation only because he was a Muslim. Would this government make such gestures if he was a Hindu?” Those were his words.

Later he made many hate speeches against Muslims and Christians. No wonder the Modi government decided to give him nothing less than a Padma Bhushan, a national honour given to people for “distinguished service of high order.” The only distinguished service of high order that Vellappally Natesan has rendered to the Kerala society is to inflame sectarian feelings against the minority communities in the state.

Since any dog is eligible for the Padma awards, according to Vellappally, we needn’t be surprised that he accepted the award happily and proudly too. Should we be surprised that the Central government chose this man for such a high national honour? I guess we have got used to this sort of situations. We have grown immune to surprises, haven’t we?

The problem is that India seems to be officially normalising majoritarian hostility towards the minorities. Even if the government defends the award on administrative or organisational grounds, it cannot escape responsibility for the symbolic endorsement it appears to offer. An award, particularly one of such high dignity, reinforces the qualities represented by the awardee. And what qualities does Vellappally Natesan possess?

When the state honours divisive speech as service, it quietly redraws the line between patriotism and prejudice. Public awards, particularly the Padma awards in India, have been moral symbols. They tell citizens which kinds of speech, conduct, and imagination are considered compatible with national service. When those known for excluding or vilifying entire communities are elevated without ethical scrutiny, prejudice is subtly recast as cultural assertiveness or social leadership.

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