No Bharat Ratna this year

Very understandably to its nature the UPA govt has decided not to confer the 'Bharat Ratna' to anybody. This was their political weakness that led to this scenario, because if they choose a Congressman for the award, their UPA colleagues will cause turmoil to the life of poor Manmohan Singh. If they give it to any of their non-left allies, they face the music from comrades. Even comrade Jyoti Basu would have caused a stir in their own ranks. The main opposition party played their own cards by suggesting the name of Mr. Vajpayee.
As a citizen of the Indian Republic, I am more than happy to see the award being not conferred, rather than being conferred to somebody who is not deserving. I would have been more than happy to see the award being not conferred to Sachin Tendulkar, than it being conferred to somebody like Karpuri Thakur or Kansi Ram or even Comrade Basu. Even though my choice would have been Sachin, with Mr. Vajpayee being a distant second.
People may treat my opinion to be negative, but even though I prefer to choose the options positively, here it is more than a choice. In fact the moment you discuss any award associated with the pride of the country the choice should be restrictive rather than the inclusive. The reason is that it is not just an award, but it reflects how a nation wants it icon to look like. Whether he should be a originator or supporter of divisive politics like Kansi Ram, Vajpayee; or whether he should be a man whose integrity lifts the mood of whole nation, even at a time when they are on a low (If anybody has any doubts see the smile on the face of a stock trader, having suffered in market this week, after Sachin's century at Adelaide).