Awarding Paralympians A Padma Shri Is A Great Step, But What Will It Take For A Bharat Ratna?

With the wave of India's 68th Republic Day high, there was plenty to cheer for sports lovers across the country as eight athletes were named to get the Padma Shri Award, the country's fourth highest civilian honour. One of the most amazing things to come out of this is that three of those eight athletes are sportspersons with special abilities - Paralympic medal winners Mariyappan Thangavelu and Deepa Malik and blind cricketer Shekar Naik.

BCCL

Others include Rio Olympians PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik, Dipa Karmakar, cricket's run-machine Virat Kohli and hockey wicket-keeper PR Sreejesh.

It is definitely a proud reality for India that marginalised sportspersons are being recognised and it is without doubt a step in the right direction. However, there is still a lot more that needs to be done for para athletes in the country.

India registered best haul in Paralympics history in 2016, winning four medals including two golds - for the first time. While one gold medallist Mariyappan is being feted the other gold medallist, Devendra Jhajharia, a two-time world record breaker in his javelin throw category, already holds the Padma Shri award, thanks to his gold-medal winning feat at Athens Paralympics in 2004. But for such a giant in paralympic sports like Jhajharia, a higher award this time around was warranted.

AFP

The Sports Ministry is already not open to the idea of Paralympians being awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna - the country's highest sporting honour. Before today, only two other paralympic medallists were honoured with the Padma Shri - Jhajharia and Girisha Nagarajegowda for his silver medal in the high jump at the 2012 London Paralympics. Awarding Deepa and Mariyappan can only be a start of granting equal rights and privileges to para athletes.

BCCL

Even though India¡¯s Paralympic athletes have collectively won more gold medals for the country than the one won by Abhinav Bindra in men's 10m air rifle shooting competition at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, they receive substantially close to no coverage or appreciation. In fact, 2016 is the first year that Paralympic athletes are being recognised for their hard work despite all the odds against them ¨C odds being lack of monetary support from the government, facilities to practice at and also their personal financial background ¨C even though Murlikant Petkar won India¡¯s first gold medal for swimming at the event in 1972.

In 2016, para athletes received more coverage, perhaps due to increased social media usage, a heightened sense of awareness of the existence of differently-abled people who are often shunned from Indian society and also perhaps because the media has actively pushed for the coverage of these athletes.

AFP

A lot needs to be done for para athletes and those with special abilities, starting at the grass-root level. From basic training in schools and colleges to providing essential facilities of compatible washrooms and recreation area.

With the para athletes being given one of the top honours in the country now, hope this move goes a long way in welfare and well being of the thousands of athletes who are fighting all odds each day to make their country proud!