CDS Bipin Rawat honoured posthumously with coveted Padma Vibhushan and Madhuri Barthwal with Padmashree.
The President of India Ram Nath Kovind has approved conferment of 128 Padma Awards including two duo case, though counted as one.
The list comprises of 4 Padma Vibhushsn, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Awards that include 34 women awardees and ten eminent personalities from the category of foreigners/ NRIs/ PIO/ OCI and thirteen Poshthumous awardees.
These awards are considered as one of the highest civilian awards of the country accorded in various disciplines or fields of activities viz social work, public affairs, science, engineering, trade n industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil services etc.
The coveted Padmabhushan is awarded fir exceptional and distinguished service of high order and Padma Shri fir distinguished service in any field, announced every year on the occasion of Republic Day. This year the former first Chief of the Defence Staff n former Indian Army General Bipin Rawat who died in a tragic crash with his wife and eleven other bravehearts including senior officers of defence forces was posthumously conferred Padma Vibhushan in the Civil Service catagory from Uttarakhand.
The other prominent Padmabhushan awardees are Prabha Atrey in the field of Art from Maharashtra, and three other posthumous awardees viz Radha Krishnan Khemka, in the field of literature and Education from Uttar Pradesh, Kalyan Singh in Public Affairs from Uttar Pradesh.
Among the 17 Padma Bhushan Awardees two names seemed to be popular, one of Congress leader, former Rajya Sabha MP and union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in Public affairs and prominent actor from Art catagory Victor Bannerjee from Bengal though he is now permanently stay put at Mussourie.
The Olympic individual Gold medalist Neeraj Chopra was accorded Padma Shri for bringing laurels for the nation in Javelin throw whereas two vaccine manufacturers, Cyrus Poonawala of Serum Institute, Pune, ( Covishield) and Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella of Bharat Biotech ( Covaxin) we’re bestowed with coved Padmashree awards.
Uttarakhand got two coveted awards this time one posthumously to first CDS Bipin Rawat and another Padma Shri to Dr. Madhuri Barthwal in singer catagory. There were in all 107 Padmashri Awardees in various field from all over India.
While there is immense pleasure among Uttarakhand’s culture, folk songs and dances, music and literary circles on acount of Dr. Madhuri Barthwal acknowledging the coveted Padma Award and the countrymen for bestowing Padmabhushan to first CDS posthumously, there is reservation amongst the millions of music lovers of Uttarakhand for sidelining legendary literateur, lyricist, singer and musician Narendra Singh Negi this time as well even after Uttarakhand gaining separate entity 21 years ago.
The former CM Trivendra Singh Negi and present CM Pushkar Singh Dhami including CMs during earlier regimes have given assurance to the inhabitants of Uttarakhand tk recommend his name for Padma Awards but if no avail, despite the fact that his junior, though deserving Jagar Samrat Pritam Bhartwan was bestowed with Padmashri honour two years ago.
The first outstanding woman music composer and singer of All India Radio Dr. Madhuri Barthwal was in 2019 honoured with prestigious Women Empowerment Award called Nari Shakti Puruskar on International Women’s Day by the president of India Dr. Ram Nath Kovind at a glittering function at Rashtrapati Bhawan alongwith other women recipients for their contributions in other fields.
Dr. Mrs Madhuri Barthwal is one of the significant treasure of Uttarakhand who’d been recognised for her exemplary contribution in music after long. ” BETTER LATE THAN NEVER”. She is also credited for singing with legendary singer, lyricist and musician Narendra Singh Negi, who has so far given music and sung thousands of mesmerising songs in his melodious voice entertaining people of Uttarakhand n non Uttarakhandies as well across the globe.
Having immensely contributed in the promotion and conservation of Uttarakhand’s folk music and songs Dr. Madhuri is credited for being the first ever woman composer of Music in All India Radio ( AIR, Akashwani). She had been credited with working for the incessant promotion, preservation and popularising the folk music of Uttarakhand’s Garhwal, Kumaon and Jaunsaari dialects for the last more than four decades not coming into public lime light.
She’d visited every part of Uttarakhand and imparted music education n training to vast number of children especially budding musicians n singers in the local dialects.
Credit also goes to her for meticulously conserving the ancient n old music instruments of Uttarakhand considered to be our traditional musical treasure house. Her inspiring father Chandramani Uniyal had been immensely instrumental in shaping the destiny of her daughter as a music composer n director at a time when women were rarely recognised n appreciated for their interest in music.
After successfully seeking the degree in Music composition from Lansdowne, Dr. Madhuri got the employment as Music teacher in her own Intermediate College at Lansdowne where she taught music for several years but also continued composing n directing music in All India Radio Nazibabad for years together as the first music composer. Dr. Madhuri Barthwal has also sung with the eminent singer of Uttarakhand Narendra Singh Negi.
