On 4th November, the AP government had issued an order which ‘re-designated’ Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Pratibha Puraskar as YSR Vidya Puraskar. This order had created a huge furor across the country and in the state too. Several leaders, politicians, and academicians had decried the move to rename the award constituted after India’s foremost scientist and people’s president.
Organiser had reported in detail the move to rename the award and the antecedents of the government in self-aggrandizement. The report had gone viral and trends like #’Sorry Kalam’ and #YSRCPInsultsAbdulKalam had trended on social media.
According to reports, the CMO has now directed authorities to award Pratibha Puraskars in the name of Dr. Kalam. Additionally, it has also directed the department to hand out awards only in the name of APJ Abdul Kalam, Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar.
The AP government’s move to retain the name of the award is welcome but it should take care that it does not resort to any such move that could insult icons of the country. It should also take steps to over restrain enthusiastic officials who are out to please their political bosses and put the government itself in a quandary.
