Bihar: Folk singer Sharda Sinha given Padma Vibhushan, ex-DyCM Sushil Modi named for Padma Bhushan

Patna, Jan 25 (PTI) Folk singer Sharda Sinha was posthumously named for the Padma Vibhushan on Saturday, while former Bihar deputy CM Sushil Modi was named for the Padma Bhushan.

Sinha, popularly called 'Bihar Kokila', is known for her pioneering efforts in popularising folk songs in Bhojpuri, Maithili and Bajjika. She is a former recipient of Padma Shri as well as Padma Bhushan.

Known for her melodious rendition of Chhath and folk songs such as 'Kartik Maas Ijoriya', 'Suraj Bhaile Bihaan' and Bollywood hits 'Taar Bijli' and 'Babul', Sinha lost her battle with cancer in November at the age of 72.

Soon after her death, Sinha's son Anshuman had expressed wish that his mother be considered for the Padma Vibhushan award.

Modi, also a former Union minister, had spent nearly five decades in politics and held the rare distinction of getting elected to both houses of the state legislature and Parliament. He died in May last year at the age of 72 while battling cancer.

Acharya Kishore Kunal, an IPS officer-turned-socio-religious activist, was named for Padma Shri. He was the founder secretary of the Mahavir Mandir Trust in Patna.

As a career bureaucrat, he had served as the OSD to the Ayodhya Cell set up by the VP Singh government to resolve the Ram Janmabhoomi dispute. He died of cardiac arrest on December 29.

The others from the state named for Padma Shri were Nirmala Devi, Bhim Singh Bhavesh, Hemant Kumar and Vijay Nityanand Surishwar Ji Maharaj.

The global ambassador of Sujani embroidery from Muzaffarpur, Nirmala Devi (75) is known for reviving the art form, which is now GI-tagged.

She has revived the traditional needlework over four decades. As the founder of Bhusra Mahila Vikas Samiti, she has trained more than 1,000 women in Sujani embroidery, enabling them with livelihood.

Bhavesh, a journalist who has dedicated himself to the welfare of the Musahar community in Bhojpur district, is popularly known as 'Musahar Ki Messiah'.

He has been tirelessly working for the upliftment of the community, one of society's most marginalised groups, for the past 22 years through his foundation 'Nayee Asha'.

He enrolled over 8,000 Mushar children in government schools and established a large library.

Hemant Kumar was given recognition for his contributions to the field of medicine, while Vijay Nityanand Surishwar Ji Maharaj was given the award for spiritualism.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar congratulated all the seven awardees for their outstanding work. PTI PKD SOM