Jaipur, Jan 26 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Sunday congratulated this year’s Padma award winners from the state.
“It is a moment of pride for the state that Sheen Kaaf Nizam (Shiv Kishan Bissa), Batool Begum and Baijnath Maharaj have been honoured with the Padma Shri award,” the chief minister said.
“This brings positive change in the society,” he added.
The Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday released the list of this year’s Padma award winners, which included the names of Sheen Kaaf Nizam (literature and education), Batool Begum (art) and Baijnath Maharaj (spirituality) as Padma Shri awardees.
Batool Begum is an eminent ‘maand’ and bhajan singer from Jaipur who specialises in Rajasthani folk music. She broke stereotypes by singing Ganpati and Ram bhajans despite being a Muslim.
Begum (68), also known as ‘Bhajnon ki Begum’, comes from the marginalised Mirasi community and is an advocate of girl child education.
Sheen Kaaf Nizam is an Urdu poet and scholar from Jodhpur who has a number of poetry collections to his name.
Baijnath Maharaj from Sikar is the head priest of Shraddhanand Ashram in Laxmangarh. PTI SDA ARI
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