Padma Shri for 5 from Raj

Jaipur: Five persons from Rajasthan were awarded Padma Shri 2020 in different categories by President Ram Nath Kovind at the President’s House on Monday. The awardees are — Himmata Ram Bhambhu (Social Work), Usha Chaumar (Social Work), Ustad Anwar Khan Mangniyar (Art), Munna Master (Art), Sundaram Verma (Social Work). The announcement was made in January 2020.

Born in Sukhwasi village in Nagaur, Bhambhu is a renowned environmentalist known for developing an integrated agroforestry plantation. “His major contribution is running campaigns for saving peacocks, chinkaras and other rare creatures from poachers, along with mobilising people in the conservation of forests in Nagaur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Sikar and Ajmer,” says a document.

The only woman among the awardees, Chaumar has fought against the evil practice of manual scavenging and ended the practice among women in Alwar. She was engaged in manual scavenging since childhood and continued it after her marriage. Her life turned around in 2003 when she met the founder of Sulabh International Dr Bideshwar Pathak, who motivated women to adopt alternative ways of livelihood.

The Baeeya village, from where Padma Shri Ustad Anwar Khan belongs, sat glued to their TV sets to see their village member receiving the Padma Shri. Khan’s singing has an important contribution in taking the folk songs of Thar to international level. Recently, RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat, during his Barmer stay, went to Khan’s house and enjoyed bhajans and Sufi songs sung by Khan.

Another singer, who made it to the list, is from Jaipur. Ramzan Khan alias Munna Master from Bagru has been evoking religious solace for the devotees by his bhajans and people from his town cheered his win. Khan has been carrying forward the family legacy of singing Ram-Krishna bhajans in temples for a living. He has authored a book ‘Shri Shyam Surabhi Vandana’ with bhajans on Lord Krishna, Ram, Vishnu and Shiva.

Verma contributed to growing trees in the arid regions by utilising bare minimum water, which has given him the national prestige of an expert in dryland farming. He has grown over 50,000 trees in the desert by conserving water and using his innovative irrigation techniques. “He has mastered an expertise in growing a sapling in just one litre of water,” says the document.