Column

The Padmas have been devalued in recent times because of the lobbying and manipulation that has thrown up some strange winners, but neither Dhoni nor Harbhajan obviously fall in that category because of their terrific records.

The opening day of the IPL showed both Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh in prime cricketing form, but they would do well to still take a few tips from Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid – and not just about what to do on the field.

Tendulkar’s controlled, unbeaten half century was a tribute – yet again – to his extraordinary cricketing mind, skills and ambition. But an equally enduring quality about the master batsman has been the humility and good grace which he has never surrendered despite being the hottest property in the sport for almost two decades.

I hate to be a party-pooper, but Dhoni and Harbhajan deciding not to go and receive their Padma Shri awards from the President prior to the departure to South Africa is, all things considered, inexcusable. They are two of the finest players in the contemporary game, and this reflects poorly on their understanding of their own status as sportspersons, role models and Indian citizens.

Admittedly, the Padmas have been devalued in recent times because of the lobbying and manipulation that has thrown up some strange winners, but neither Dhoni nor Harbhajan obviously fall in that category because of their terrific records. It is no secret either that the government’s ways of informing the winners can be frustratingly bureaucratic and impersonal.

Yet, a Padma is not a freebie thrown in for a star to make an ‘appearance’ which happens frequently enough in an international sportsperson’s life to get them bored. Moreover, there is always the option for a winner to reject the Padma, which is why sports minister MS Gill’s miff is entirely understandable. Why say yes, when you can’t accept it? For the record, Harbhajan was not an original nominee of the BCCI, Dhoni and VVS Laxman being the two names suggested to the sports ministry. And while he washugely successful all through the past year as a bowler, he was not above controversies which ordinarily would have kept him out of consideration for such an award.

This should have made Harbhajan doubly diligent, but Dhoni’s absence was even more disappointing only for the kind of stature he enjoys in public life, and the kind of person he has shown himself to be yet in almost every situation. There is transparency about him and a willingness to do things without needless demands that have separated him from most others of his age and experience. It is possible that there could be compelling circumstances like illness, injury or being on national duty which can prevent a winner from attending the awards ceremony, or taking it in person later, but none of this seems to be the case with either Dhoni or Harbhajan. Surely, despite their admittedly hectic schedule, a day could have been marked out for receiving what is essentially a nation’s appreciation.

Their superstardom is to be lauded, but if it is not accompanied with sensitivity to certain issues — as Tendulkar and Dravid might point out to them — it is still a life only half successful.