The Dharam Singh regime, by its own admission, has been ‘liberal’ in dealing out Rajyotsava award. This year’s tally is 127, of which Mysore accounts for a measly eight. And we don’t figure anywhere in several categories such as fine arts, sculpture, science, education, information & technology, sports and more.
The Mysore List:
B N Chandraiah (literature)
R Visveswaran and Sukanya Prabhakar (music)
Lingadevaru Halemane (theatre)
P K Rajashekar (janapada and yakshagana)
Rajashekar Koti (journalism)
Rathnakar (films)
M Jayasheela (social services)
Announcing the awards, the deputy chief minister, Mr M P Prakash, who heads the selection committee, let it be known that the criteria adopted for selection were geographical representation, caste, social justice, age and merit (‘The Hindu’ report). Were they (criteria) necessarily in that order, Mr Prakash ?
The awards, presented on Rajyotsava Day (Nov.1), carry Rs.10,000 in cash, a shawl and citation. What the ‘Mysore-8’ would like more, we believe, are messages from friends and fans, colleagues and neighbours. They could post here their take on the recipients – little-known facts and fads about them, and endearing anecdotes you don’t get to read in a citation.
The government in its wisdom added 50 more names to an already bloated list, hours before the award presentation in Bangalore. The list has a lone name from Mysore:
Gopal Raju (Music)
Such ad-hoc additions do not enhance the sanctity of awards. But then we seem capable of a more degrading gesture. At least one newspaper (‘Deccan Herald’) reported that two of those who figured in the initial list of awardees found themselves dis-invited, and their awards were withdrawn, because the government made a last-minute discovery that the two had been conferred with the same award some years earlier.
