Saturday, March 12 2005 17:53 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Amritsar: Veteran CPI (Communist Party of India) leader and social activist Satyapal Dang has decided to return the 'Padma Bhushan' conferred on him in 1998 and demanded abolition of all such awards as a person's contribution to society is judged by his deeds and not by honours.

Rankled over the "gross violation" of Government honours and embarrassed at being clubbed along with people who "publicly misuse" the titles, Dang said he had already communicated to President A P J Abdul Kalam that he would be returning the 'Padma Bhushan' next Tuesday (March 15, 2005).

"The contribution of a person for the downtrodden and hapless people of society should be adjudged by his deeds and not through awards. The practice of presenting awards should be abolished forthwith in order to stop the gross violation of such a prestigious award and its title," he said.

He said since the State-honoured awards were now being conferred not only for merit, but also "on the basis on the political contacts and the loyalty toward the serving Government", the award no longer held significance for him.

"I am determined to return my 'Padma Bhushan' to the deputy commissioner of Amritsar so that it can be sent further to the Union Home Ministry as I don't feel any requirement to keep this award any longer," the socialist leader with a spartan lifestyle told sources in Amritsar.

"It has no significance as most of the award holders commit gross violation (of the award) in public," he said.

He said many recipients of such awards prefix their names with 'Padma Shri', 'Padma Bhushan' or 'Padma Vibhushan'.