'India did not giv Mohammed Rafi his due'

'India did not give Mohammed Rafi his due' Indo-Asian News Service Dhaka, August 17, 2006

A Bangladeshi newspaper has raked up an old controversy by saying that singer Mohammed Rafi was not given his due by the government of India.

Paying rich tributes to Rafi in the the Daily Star, Bakul Sultan, a columnist asks why Rafi was given only a Padma Shri while some of his contemporaries received higher honours. Lata Mangeshkar received a Bharat Ratna.

"Irrespective of the honours Rafi will remain immortal in the hearts of music lovers of the subcontinent," wrote Sultan.

Rafi, who died 26 years ago on July 31, remains popular in South Asia and "even distant climes such as the UK, Kenya and West Indies that have a large Indian expatriate community," he wrote.

Disagreeing that Rafi was at par with Mukesh and Kishore Kumar, Sultan quotes Manna Dey, another great singer, who often said that "Rafi was by far the most versatile and gifted singer among his contemporaries".

Sultan points out that although Kishore Kumar sang all the songs in the films he acted in, music maestro OP Nayyar preferred Rafi's voice for the classical song 'Man mora bawra' in the Kumar starrer "Ragini".

"Nayyar knew that only a singer of Rafi's calibre with a classical background could fully justify his songs," he wrote.

Rafi has left a rich legacy that is kept alive by new Bollywood singers Mohammad Aziz, Shabbir Kumar, Anwar and the current sensation Sonu Nigam, he added.

Thanks Qwestji for starting this thread. Mr. Bakul Sultan is right. Rafi didn't get his due. I remember their was a controversy about whose name would be in Guineas book. Rafiji claimed his name should be there. May be I am wrong, I was young at that time. Some one can shed some light on it.

Thanx a lot dada for sharing this article 😊

It is sad that such articles get written.

Rafi was and continues to be one of India's most reverred singers, the most popular one and one who has inspired many a singer. In that era when tehre were so many greats, you could not compare them and say this one is supreme and No. 1 and someone else No. 2.

Similarly a Padma Shri or a Bharat Ratna is not an indication of whether he got his due or not. He is remembered in the hearts of his fans and that is far greater a glory than an award by the Government.

While I agree to Priya that Rafi was one of the greatest singers (infact 'the' greatest for me) ever, I think that our Govt is always late or ignorant in confering honors to the greats.... One example that comes to my mind right-away is Satyajit Ray... It was only after Oscars gave him a lifetime achievement award, did Indian Govt. declare the Bharat Ratna for him! It was sad that it took us a foreign party to recognize the genius, to even realise that he was truely a gem 'the ratna'

Originally posted by: jayc1234

While I agree to Priya that Rafi was one of the greatest singers (infact 'the' greatest for me) ever, I think that our Govt is always late or ignorant in confering honors to the greats.... One example that comes to my mind right-away is Satyajit Ray... It was only after Oscars gave him a lifetime achievement award, did Indian Govt. declare the Bharat Ratna for him! It was sad that it took us a foreign party to recognize the genius, to even realise that he was truely a gem 'the ratna'

Jaya very well said.!!!!!!

Frankly I don't care for these governmental honors anyway - the fact that Rafi saab didn't get a Padma Bhushan or Bharat Ratna doesn't change the fact that he's a legend.

Ustad Bismillah Khan got a Bharat Ratna, but the dear old man still lives in poverty and most of today's generation barely knows him.

Can anyone tell me the name of 10 people who received the Bharat Ratna (without googling it)?

Jaya, this is not first time in history of India, you can see these kind of examples at many places.

Originally posted by: Qwest

Jaya very well said.!!!!!!

'India did not give Mohammed Rafi his due'

😕

Mohammed Rafi is still a legend that will live on forever 👏👏