The Bits and Pieces – As I Please – 19

 

The Bits and Pieces – As I Please – 19

Padma Awards – Padma Awards are the distinguished civilian honour, which were instituted in the year 1954, is announced every year on the occasion of Republic Day, and consists of 3 categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the country. Obviously, these civilian honours add to the esteem and prestige of the distinguished personalities on whom these awards are conferred. My immediate

motivation to write on the Padma Awards emanated from the conferment f Padma Shri on Sant Niranjan Dass of Dera Sachkhand of Ballan which is currently getting viral in the social media particularly in the Dalit circles of the region. I wrote about Padma Award to Sant Niranjan Dass ji in my blog on January 26, 2026 and also made suitable mentions subsequently too: https://diplomatictitbits.blogspot.com/2026/01/padma-shri-award-to-niranjan-dass-of.html

Conferment of Padma Shri on Sant Niranjan Dass, Gaddi Nasheen of Dera  Sachkhand Ballan is an appreciable and positive development as it is a well-earned and deserved honour. But getting over-whelmed beyond a point makes no sense as it is made out by the hapless and clueless masses and followers of the Dera. Many more honours and recognitions await but the ruling elite is waiting to extract their pound of flesh before they make us equal partners in the pie as I wrote in my letter to the President of BJP: https://diplomatictitbits.blogspot.com/2026/06/letter-to-bjp-president-samrasta-agenda.html

Chupa Kar Asteen Mein Bijliyan Rakhi Hain Gardoon Ne
Anadil Bagh Ke Ghafil Na Baithen Ashiyon Mein
(The sky has kept thunderbolts concealed up its sleeve
Garden’s nightingales should not slumber in their nests)

 

Energy to be channelized – Of late, an important and positive trend in the socio-economic and political status of Dalits has been observed. Thanks to the affirmative action and empowerment provisions enshrined in the Constitution of India and the lofty ideas

and thought of Babasaheb Ambedkar as stipulated in the dictum – Educate, Agitate and Organise. It has resulted in much needed positive outcomes which are increasingly becoming visible on ground. Though most of the spiritual Deras of Dalits are still mired into useless and anti-social traditional rituals perpetuated by the Manuwadi Vivasta yet some of the Deras have comparatively done well in generating awareness and  awakening among the marginalized segments of the society and rightly so. Much desired energy has been generated to meet the challenges but the energy needs to be used and channelized otherwise it would be wasted as the energy cannot be stored it has to be distributed and channelized. Unfortunately, It seems, there is no definite mechanism in place in the community to utilize and channelize the energy of Empowerment and Affirmative Actions both of the polity and the society. The Dalit communities are still grouping in the dark and seem to be confused. It suits the vested interests to promote their narrow agendas; negating the vision and stipulations of the Constitution and the forefathers like Babasaheb Ambedkar among others.  I think it is the high time that the Dalit intelligentsia and awakened civil society should step in and show the way forward. My humble suggestion in this regard is that highly placed retired bureaucrats academics and professionals of the community may think of giving unsolicited advice and direction, suo moto, to the political and spiritual leadership of the community through the media and by other suitable modes and channels. By doing this they would be doing a yeoman’s service to the community and the society at large. Let it be an untraditional way of paying back to the community as a ‘Caucus of Transformation’.  Khumar Barabankavi has rightly said:-

मोहब्बत को समझना है तो नासेह ख़ुद मोहब्बत कर
किनारे से कभी अंदाज़ा-ए-तूफ़ाँ नहीं होता ]