Are South Indians overlooked for the Padma Awards and national awards? The issue regained prominence following the death of legendary playback singer S. Janaki, who had declined the Padma Bhushan, arguing that the honour had come far too late in her career. She maintained that artists should be recognised when they are at the height of their creative powers rather than in old age or after their death. In explaining her decision, she also referred to the posthumous Padma award conferred on the celebrated singer P. Leela.

A similar debate has long surrounded the Jnanpith Award, with critics arguing that several outstanding writers from South India have been overlooked despite their enduring contributions to Indian literature.

Are these concerns justified? Is there a systemic imbalance in the way India’s highest civilian and literary honours are conferred, or do the awards reflect the complexities of evaluating excellence across languages, regions and artistic traditions?

Guests: Historian A.R. Venkatachalapathy, Sahitya Akademi Award-winning scholar, and T.M. Krishna, acclaimed Carnatic vocalist, public intellectual and Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient

Host: B. Kolappan

Producer: Jude Weston

Read excerpts from the conversation

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