Should Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, unarguably India's most loved sportsperson be awarded the Bharat Ratna ?? Probably a matter which has garnered great interest over the last few months.
Yes, in my modest opinion. Not because I belong to a generation which has grown up watching Sachin Tendulkar bat, and which still wonders what cricket will be like after the Big Man retires.
Initiated in 1954, the Bharat Ratna awards people for the highest degree of national service. Further definitions: 'national service' translates to public service, arts, literature, and the recent and most debated upon 'Sports''.
But honestly, do fields like arts, literature and sports need to be awarded with the highest Honour of the Country ?? I don't think so. No disrespect to the stalwarts of these fields, but is an act of excellence in fields like these worthy enough of the highest honour ?? The country has been battling a lot many problems and there have been people fighting against them. I honestly feel that the Bharat Ratna should be awarded only to men and women who have improved the lives of people in our country; people such as E. Sreedharan, T.N. Seshan, Kiran Bedi. Let the government find out more admnistrative officers, social workers, defence officers (would have loved to add politicians too but alas...) who are not just mere entertainers but "life-savers and improvers".
The situation with the Bharat Ratna has sadly not been so. The honour has been awarded to the likes of Satyajit Ray, Lata Mangeskar, M.S. Subbulakshmi. I honestly feel that the Bharat Ratna thus has lost its true sheen. If that be the case, why not then give it to Sachin Tendulkar also, who has been no less than the people mentioned above in his own field.
Yes, in my modest opinion. Not because I belong to a generation which has grown up watching Sachin Tendulkar bat, and which still wonders what cricket will be like after the Big Man retires.
Initiated in 1954, the Bharat Ratna awards people for the highest degree of national service. Further definitions: 'national service' translates to public service, arts, literature, and the recent and most debated upon 'Sports''.
But honestly, do fields like arts, literature and sports need to be awarded with the highest Honour of the Country ?? I don't think so. No disrespect to the stalwarts of these fields, but is an act of excellence in fields like these worthy enough of the highest honour ?? The country has been battling a lot many problems and there have been people fighting against them. I honestly feel that the Bharat Ratna should be awarded only to men and women who have improved the lives of people in our country; people such as E. Sreedharan, T.N. Seshan, Kiran Bedi. Let the government find out more admnistrative officers, social workers, defence officers (would have loved to add politicians too but alas...) who are not just mere entertainers but "life-savers and improvers".
The situation with the Bharat Ratna has sadly not been so. The honour has been awarded to the likes of Satyajit Ray, Lata Mangeskar, M.S. Subbulakshmi. I honestly feel that the Bharat Ratna thus has lost its true sheen. If that be the case, why not then give it to Sachin Tendulkar also, who has been no less than the people mentioned above in his own field.
