The legendary singer from Bengal Sandhya Mukherjee rejected the offer of a Padma Shri award from the Central Government on Tuesday. The 90-year-old veteran singer said that a junior artist is more suited and deserving for a junior artist and not for someone of her stature. She is not the first person to refuse such an award this year. Former Chief Minister of West Bengal Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee also rejected the Padma Bhushan on Tuesday. He revealed that he was not even aware that he was named for it. He added he would have rejected even if he knew.
Soumi Sengupta, the daughter of Sandhya Mukherjee revealed that her mother was called by the senior officer from Delhi and she said that she felt insulted as she was offered the award at her age. She further told the officer that she was unwilling to receive the Padma Shri award. She was contacted because the office needed her permission to be named a recipient of Padma Shri in the Republic Day awards list.
Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s turning down of the award is said to purely political as he had always been a strong critic of the BJP government. Bur Soumi Sengupta said her mother’s decision to not receive the award has no connection with politics.
The recipients of the top civilian awards must confirm whether they want to accept the honours before the announcement.
Film writer Salim Khan had also rejected a Padma Shri in 2015. Famous historian Romila Thapar also turned down a Padma Bhushan award in 2005. She returned her 1974 award in 1984 as her protest against the India Army’s siege of the Golden Temple that year. In that same year author Khushwant Singh also returned his Padma bhushan obtained in 1974 due to the same issue. But he later accepted a Padma Vibhushan in 2007.
Sandhya Mukherjee’s daughter said that her mother had a career in music for more than eight decades and now giving her the award at 90 is insulting for her. She further added that Padma Shri award is more suited for the junior artists of today. And this is the opinion of her family and all her fans.
She had been considered a prima donna of Bengal music industry for decades and sung thousands of songs in her career. She had sung Hindi songs as well working with music directors Madan Mohan, Salil Choudhary, Anil Biswas, S D Burman, Roshan, and many more.
She received West Bengal’s highest civilian honour Banga Bibhushan in 2011 by CM mamata Banerjee. She received National Film Award in 1970 for Best Female Playback Singer.
