Sachin Tendulkar Should Not Be Given The Bharata Ratna

Stars/celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar should not be honoured with the Bharata Ratna, which is the India's highest civilian award. All such demands that are made to give Bharata Ratna to film stars, cricketers or any celebrity, shows the "low cultural level" in the country to which we sunk today.

Why should one be honoured with this award, who have "no significant social relevance" and these demands are actually making a "mockery" of the award.

"We ignore our real heroes, and hail superficial ones". Today our country is standing at a cross road. We need persons who can give direction to the country and take it forward. It is such people who should be given Bharat Ratna, even if they are dead.

Filmstars and cricketers are very good for their efforts. That is their profession and they must be honoured with the awards relevant to their respective professions, in fact they are already very well rewarded. People like Sachin, who demand the govt. to provide tax exemptions in spite being extremely rich and enjoy many other benefits from the people's money (I'm not saying they shouldn't). What messages the society gets from these stars by huge earnings from advertisements of cold drinks etc.

We as a society need to understand "who are the path makers", who are the chapters in the history of the country, and "who are the entertainers of their generations". Bharat ratna should go to the path makers not the chapters in the history and entertainers. Cricketers and entertainers have so highly been rewarded, awarded, and remunarated without any impact they bring in the society.

What has been the imapct of Sachin tendulkar for the well being of the society ? He is a cricketer and has played the cricket with distinction. He is a gentleman, role model for cricketers, and he is dedicated to his job and is a thorough professional. He has been richly rewarded, appreciated, and compensated and that should be it. Awarding Bharat Ratna for his contribution will be lowering the standard of the Bharat Ratna. I have high regards for Sachin and I am proud of his contributions to Cricket. But the fact that Tendulakr's records were of absolutely no social or cultural relevance. At best, every time he scored a century, his demand (and in the bargain his personal wealth) in the "modelling" market went up a few notches.

In India Cricket and Entertainment are a huge industry with a strong backing of corporates, few media houses, and few vested interest. These people will go to any extent to support the candidature of cricketers and entertainers just to serve the interest of these industries.

"We must deeply regret that the present generation of Indians has been almost entirely deculturized, and all they care for is money, film stars, cricket, populism and superficialities."

Don't make the mockery of the Bharata Ratna award, by giving it to stars and celebrities, which was earlier awarded to people like Sardar Patel, Dr. Ambedkar, Netaji Subhash Chandrabose (although rejected by the family), Dr. Abdul Kalam etc., who have sacrificed all their life for this country and continuously inspired, still inspiring and even will inspire in the future. "Be rationale to the award", do not look at the popularity of a person, look at the core reason why Bharat Ratna award is given, and "please respect those reasons".

--
Nishanth Dongari