CPI(M) Leader M.A. Baby Calls for Bharat Ratna Recognition for Percussion Artists

swift Summary

• CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby advocated awarding the Bharat Ratna to Indian percussionists, specifically mridangam maestro Umayalpuram Sivaraman, citing the immense heights achieved by percussion music in India.
• Mr. Baby highlighted that previous recipients of Bharat Ratna in music were primarily vocalists or instrumentalists from North India,such as Bhimsen Joshi and Ravi Shankar,while eminent percussionists like Kishan Maharaj,Alla Rakha,Zakir Hussain,and Samta Prasad have not received this honor.
• During a discussion wiht Mr. Sivaraman at The Hindu office in Chennai on July 13, 2025, Mr. Baby emphasized regional disparities in awards granted to South Indian artists compared to their North Indian counterparts.
• He appealed to institutions like The Music Academy and The Hindu to advocate for recognition of percussion artists at the highest level.
• Mr. Sivaraman proposed instituting an award in memory of nagaswaram legend T.N. Rajarathinam Pillai similar to Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar; both he and Mr. Baby endorsed this idea.
• N. Ram (former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu) recounted how M.A. Baby first connected with Umayalpuram Sivaraman’s artistry during India’s Emergency period through temple concerts.

Indian Opinion Analysis

M.A. Baby’s proposal underscores longstanding concerns about equitable recognition for diverse musical traditions within India’s cultural awards framework-particularly percussion arts-which are central but frequently enough overlooked elements of Carnatic and Hindustani music ensembles alike. Highlighting biases between North-South regional representation among awardees could renew discussions about broadening criteria for honors such as the Bharat Ratna.

By invoking celebrated musicians who never attained Bharat Ratna despite near-worldwide acclaim-e.g., kishan Maharaj or Alla Rakha-the call may resonate across India’s artistic community beyond its political roots tied to CPI(M). The suggestion also aims toward systemic reform by introducing specific institutional awards honoring historically significant figures (e.g., T.N Rajarathinam Pillai), potentially fostering greater inclusivity across genres.

If thes ideas gain traction among cultural advocates or policymakers influenced via platforms like The Music Academy or prominent media outlets (The Hindu), they could pave pathways towards addressing historical imbalances faced by South Indian classical arts practitioners-and elevating underappreciated percussive contributions nationally.

Read more: Article on The Hindu