Veteran
South
Indian
playback
singer
S
Janaki
has
declined
to
accept
the
Padma
Bhushan
award
as
she
feels
that
the
honour
has
come
late
in
her
five-and-half-decade
long
career.
"I
refuse
the
Padma
award.
I
have
been
singing
for
the
last
55
years.
I
consider
the
recognition
of
my
fans
in
various
languages
as
the
highest
award," she
told
reporters
at
Ottappalam,
Kerala.
However,
75-year
old
Janaki,
who
has
sung
over
20,000
songs
in
Tamil,
Telugu,
Kannada,
Malayalam
and
Hindi
to
her
credit,
said
she
had
no
grouse
against
the
government.
"I
have
been
singing
for
the
last
55
years.
I
have
sung
a
variety
of
songs
in
many
languages.
They
all
appreciated
my
songs.
Even
Malayalees
often
say
that
my
pronunciation
is
correct.
So
what
else
I
require
than
the
recognition
from
the
people," she
said.
"I
have
no
complaint
towards
the
government.
I
don't
think
the
government
has
done
anything
wrong.
But
I
have
decided
to
refuse
Padma
award,"
Janaki,
who
was
at
Ottappalam
to
attend
a
marriage,
said.
"I
should
have
been
given
the
highest
civilian
award
of
Bharat
Ratna
if
the
government
wanted
to
recognise
my
work.
I
am
not
interested
in
any
other
awards
like
the
Padma
awards,"
she
told
The
Hindu.
Janaki,
who
had
won
four
national
awards,
was
chosen
in
the
art
category
among
the
24
Padma
Bhushan
awardees
in
different
fields
announced
on
the
eve
of
the
Republic
Day.
Her
son
Murali
Krishna,
talking
to
PTI
over
phone,
said
the
honour
to
his
mother
came
too
late.
"It
has
come
too
late.
She
should
have
got
it
long
long
time
ago.
She
has
refused
to
accept
the
award
with
due
respect,"
he
said.
He
also
said
they
were
not
informed
about
the
award
being
given
to
her
and
they
learnt
about
it
only
through
"somebody
else".