​Filmmaker Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan: I will not return my National Award

While a number of writers, filmmakers, historians and scientists have returned their national honours to protest against recent incidents like the Dadri lynching, beef row and ink attacks, filmmaker Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan refuses to join the protest and says that he would not return his National Award.
The filmmaker, who won the coveted award for his internationally acclaimed film, Lahore in 2009, says that the award is love and blessings of millions of people in India and in no situation would he return it.
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"It is nation’s one of the highest honours and a dream for any filmmaker which motivates our enthusiasm to work as a filmmaker with zeal and creativity", says the director.
The writer-director says that the National Awards are not political awards and do not bear any political inclination.
"They (National Awards) are not any party or individual driven. Any National Award is the love and affection of people of the country bestowed in the form of an award by the government. So, all those returning the awards are actually disgracing the feelings, values and affection of Indians and it is a shame", says Chauhan.
He adds, “What are we trying to show as Indians? What would the people throughout the world think of such reactions? Your government conferred you with the National Award with all the trust in your capabilities but for you, it is just an award. But what if you had an Academy Award or some International Award and would you return the same after being provoked by a few political elements?
The filmmaker signs off saying that he is proud of his people, nation and the Government of India.
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