Does Sachin Tendulkar need a Bharat Ratna?

Over the last few days, starting with Tendulkar’s 50th Test century at Centurion in the first Test against South Africa, calls have been made seeking the highest civilian honour for arguably India’s greatest cricketer or even India’s greatest sportsman. It is not clear who started it or why but it is funny that some of our most accomplished compatriots should simply join the chorus. I caught at least three names –  Lata Mangeshkar (herself a Bharat Ratna winner), Saina Nehwal and Viswanathan Anand – who, reports suggest, endorse the call. I wish they would pause to consider the campaign, if I may term it so.

Many, if not most, fully well know that the award, like all awards presented by the government, is politically inspired. This is particularly so in the case of the Bharat Ratna, Over the years, a series of poor choices and some glaring misses have severely undermined these awards. To cite just one example, many find the Bharat Ratna to Tamil matinee star and the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran undeserving.

So why do we still seek these awards?

It is common to periodically to see debates erupt on television on whether or not these awards should continue to be presented and whether or not people should accept them. But, inexplicably, many television anchors themselves have turned around and accepted the awards, when turning them down would have been the right thing to do, especially to assert their complete independence from government.

Would Tendulkar be any less adorable to us if he never won the nation’s highest civilian award? Or would he become any more cherished on account of the award?

Americans don’t mount a campaign for an award to be bestowed on Tiger Woods or Pete Sampras. The Germans don’t do it for Michael Schumacher and Spaniards don’t do it for Rafael Nadal. So why do we? Let’s stop it before it gains any more momentum.