Arijit Singh, Mamata Shankar among 9 people from West Bengal to get Padma Shri

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Arijit Singh, Mamata Shankar among 9 people from West Bengal to get Padma Shri

Sunday, 26 January 2025 | PTI

Arijit Singh, Mamata Shankar among 9 people from West Bengal to get Padma Shri

Bollywood singer Arijit Singh, Dhak player Gokul Chandra Dey, actor Mamata Shankar and six others from West Bengal were awarded the Padma Shri.

The other six are educationist Nagendra Nath Roy, industrialists Pawan Goenka and Sajjan Bhajanka, Swami Pradiptananda (Kartik Maharaj), Sarod artiste Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, and social worker Vinayak Lohani.

The government announced the Padma Awards on Saturday on the eve of the 76th Republic Day.

Speaking to PTI, Shankar said, "I am so happy to get the news and the feeling is yet to sink in. I am thankful to everyone -- my audience, my directors, my co-actors, my family, my dancing school students, everyone who came into my life."

"I will also thank even those who don't like me for motivating me to do better and be a better human being," she added.

Shankar has acted in over 50 films, including Dooratwa (1978), Ek Din Pratidin (1979), Kharij (1982), Grihajuddha (1982), Shakha Prosakha (1991), Agantuk (1991) and Prajapati (2023).

"I remember Mrinal da (Mrinal Sen), Manik da (Satyajit Ray) and Buddhadeb Dasgupta for guiding me in the early years of my career," she said.

Tejendra Narayan Majumdar said the honour was indeed an acknowledgement of the role of music, particularly classical music.

Describing his getting Padma Shri award was a recognition of every practitioner of music, particularly those exploring classical music, he said this honour thrusts a responsibility on him to spread the message about the mellifluous nature and richness of classical genre including instrumental music like sarod.

"It confers upon me a greater responsibility to disseminate Indian classical music and enables me to dispel the notion that the younger generation is disinterested in pursuing this art form. I dedicate the award to our rich heritage," he said.

Majumdar recalled he was performing at a function at IIT Kharagpur when the news broke.

"I dedicate this honour to Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ustad Rashid Khan and Pt Subhankar Banerjee," he said.

Kartik Maharaj said people wearing saffron robes don't hanker for awards and state honours and his organisation Bharat Sevashram Sangha will benefit to carry forward its philanthropic work with this money.

Gokul Chandra Dey, a 57-year-old Dhak player from West Bengal who broke the gender stereotype by training 150 women in the male-dominated field was also named for the Padma Shri, according to a government statement.

Dey also created a lightweight Dhak type, 1.5 kg less than the conventional instrument, and represented India at various international platforms and performed with Maestros like Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Zakir Hussain.

Pawan Kumar Goenka, renowned for his impactful tenure at Mahindra & Mahindra and his significant contributions to India's automobile and space sectors, couldn’t believe his ears upon hearing the news of getting the Padma Shri. "It was an absolute surprise to me when I received the call. I am truly overwhelmed," Goenka told PTI.

"I wasn't sure if it was real or a hoax and I called a couple of people to verify," he added.

Reflecting on his roots, Goenka added, "I grew up in Kolkata and in large part I owe this recognition to the foundation that was laid from the initial learnings at Shree Jain Vidyalaya. I bow to my parents and to all my great teachers in school."

Goenka dedicated 27 years to Mahindra & Mahindra before retiring in 2021 as managing director and CEO. His impressive career includes serving as chairman of SsangYong Motor Company in Korea. He currently chairs IN-SPACe, a key component of India's space programme, and serves on the board of governors at IIT Madras.

Goenka holds a BTech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur, a PhD from Cornell University, and an Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School.

Sajjan Bhajanka, chairman and co-managing director of Century Plyboards (India) Ltd., also expressed his gratitude. "I am deeply honoured and extremely happy about this recognition for the work I have been doing for decades," Bhajanka told PTI. He vowed to continue his commitment to industry growth, employment generation, and philanthropy.

Having taken over the family business in the 1980s, Bhajanka transformed Century Plyboards into the country’s largest plywood manufacturer, driving innovation and expanding its reach globally. In addition to his business acumen, Bhajanka is known for his philanthropic efforts in education and healthcare, further solidifying his legacy.

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