This is going to be a short one. Consider this. Among this year's Padma Shri awardees are P. Sainath and.....hold your breath....Aishwarya Rai and Akashya Kumar. On the one hand you have Sainath - eminent journalist, profilic writer and (in my opinion) one of the finest minds this country has ever seen. On the other you have - well - an ice berg and a beefcake. One shakes governments with his insights on the plight of poor farmers in India and the others shake their booties.

I am baffled at the selection criteria used by the Govt. of India for this highest of civilian awards. Should Sainath feel awarded or insulted at being made part of a club that also has among, its members a former beauty-queen-turned-bad-actress and a fake sikh?

Apparently any ullo ka pattha can do this. I must check how we are doing on the Bharat Ratna.

PS: I heard that Sainath has refused the Padma Shri. And no, I dont think it was to protest his being clubbed with the likes of the Snow Queen or the Kinng