PADMA LIST AS USUAL TAINTED

To Dear Home Minister P. Chidambaram

On the front page of HT dated 26 Jan 10, Sant Singh Chatwal,

a Hotelier, was listed among "the best and the brightest" for being

chosen for Padma Bhushan for Public Affairs. And on the very next

page the newspaper carried a news of why his name should be deleted.

Year after year, the Padma Award list is tainted. This year Chatwal

gets Padma Bhushan for being closer to Hilary and Bill Clinton inspite

of 9 million dollars SBI "gafla". Saif Ali Khan gets Padma Shri for shooting

down some endangered specie (Cinkara was it?) and now snatching

someone's girlfriend for long time.

Like Vajpayee had given Padma Bhushan to a surgeon who had replaced

his knees and 5 acres of land, etc. now Manmohan Singh has put the

name of one Dr. Panda for repairing his heart. Home Ministry it seems

prepares a list of Padma Awardees like a Home Maker rewarding the

Kamwali Bai with bonus.

Octogenarian Acharya Janki Ballabh Shastri has rightly turned down the

Padma Shri shaming the Govt. for choosing his juniors much before him.

Since 1991, I am not getting the Padma Award because I refuse to pay

to get my name enlisted. 40 books, over 10,000 lectures in 63 countries,

treated and trained thousands, and the fact that I am the senior most

Naturopath in India who has done so much for Naturopathy. But since

the PM or other leaders do not believe in Nature Cure or Ayurveda

(eventhough we have seven recognised systems of medicine) and since

I criticise the Govt. on principles and faulty policies, they will not enter

my name. Like the Health ministry will not sponsor Zinda Tilismat available

since 1922 (now priced at Rs.40) for Swine Flu, but will order Tami Flu

because the kickbacks received can be deposited directly in the Swiss bank

accounts.

I am aware of one so-called "eminent" cardiologist who was trying this year

furiously to get his name included for Bharat Ratna after getting Padma Vibhushan

last year, as many said, and I repeat, undeservingly.

I challenge you as the Home Minister incharge of preparing this list with the

PMO to prove that the Padma lists this year or last year or year before that were

prepared strictly on merit.

Shame Mr. Home Minister, shame. Atleast, this was not expected of you.

Let me see how you would justify this corruption even in Padma Awards.

Dr. Leo Rebello

28 Samata Nagar, Kandivali East, Mumbai 400101

Tel. 28872741