Bharata Ratna for NTR

Still there is chance to confer the coveted award on the legendaryfor NTR

Patibandla Srinivas

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There is still a chance to confer the prestigious Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in the country on the legendary actor, TDP founder and former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao in 2024.

Everyone knows that the demand of a large number of Telugus for Bharat Ratna to endearingly called NTR has remained a dream for the last two decades. The Centre has announced Bharat Ratna for former Prime Ministers PV Narasimha Rao, Charan Singh, former Deputy Prime Minister, BJP stalwart LK Advani, former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur and noted agronomist MS Swaminathan this year.

As per the guidelines, totally three people can be conferred with this award in a year. Though five persons were awarded recently, still there is scope for seven more persons to get honour with the award.  

Last time, the Centre honoured in 2019 three people with this award—former President Pranab Mukherjee, Nanaji Deshmukh and Bhupen Hajarika. Since only five persons were honoured by the Centre from 2020-2023 for four years, there is still an opportunity to honour some more persons with this coveted award.

The Prime Minister can refer the names to the President of India without any recommendations. The persons who served the nation in various fields are eligible for this award.

It may be recalled that so far 53 persons from various fields including politics, science, sports, film making, music, education, health, social service and others were conferred with this award. The late Mother Theressa and Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan were also conferred with Bharata Ratna for their great service.  

There is no need reiterate that the late NT Rama Rao is still applauded and eulogised across the globe from different political parties and sections. He got a reputation as a legendary actor and created wonders in politics also. He is also voted as the greatest Indian actor of all time by the public in 2013 in a national poll conducted by the CNN-IBN.   

At the national politics, he was instrumental in the formation of the National Front, a coalition of non-Congress parties which governed India from 1989 to 1990.

After he launched a political party in 1982, he was elected Chief Minister in a span of just nine months. His movies Maya Bazaar, Pathala Bhairavi, Sr Krishna Pandaveeyam, Dana Veera Sura Karna and others are still classics for this generation too.

In politics also he started a new era in the country. The formation of a coalition government against the Congress became reality under his leadership. At one point of time, he even decided the candidate for the post of Prime Minister. Similarly, he was also instrumental for various reforms in India. He introduced several new welfare schemes with an aim to uplift the poorer sections. The Rs 2-a-kg rice was a boon for the people below the poverty line. Apart from this he had given saree and dhoti for families at Rs 100 and also pucca houses for poor people in the place of previous governments’ temporary hut type houses. He introduced equal share of right for women in family property which was historical, abolished patel-patwari and also known as Munsab-Karanam feudal system in the Revenue administration and created mandal revenue system.

NT Rama Rao had given corruption-free government to the public. He stood for values and defined politics are meant for social service. As a result, he is still alive in the minds of Telugu people. Not only TDP, several leaders of BJP, Congress, Jana Sena and erstwhile Prajarajyam have made appeals to the Central Government to confer Bharata Ratna to NTR.