Bhapang maestro Gafruddin Mewati Jogi and santoor maestro Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya, both conferred the Padma Shri this year, have expressed gratitude for the honour while using the spotlight to voice pressing concerns — one about the financial precarity of folk artistes, the other about the urgent need to bring music into children's lives. The Investiture Ceremony-I for the awards is scheduled for 25 May at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.

Jogi: Gratitude Tempered by Financial Struggle

The celebrated Bhapang folk musician from Rajasthan, Jogi, welcomed the recognition but was candid about its timing. He said the award should have come '20–25 years ago', adding: 'I am happy that my hard work is paying off.'

Despite receiving India's fourth-highest civilian honour, Jogi's more immediate concern is economic survival. 'I get very less money in programmes, which is not enough to sustain my family. So, if I receive a decent monetary amount, it will be enough for my family's bread and butter as well as for my future,' he said. He appealed to the government to increase the number of performance opportunities for artistes in his position.

Notably, Jogi has long used his art in service of public outreach. He travels to villages across Rajasthan to publicise welfare schemes — covering farmers' benefits, health programmes, and pension schemes — through his performances. 'People welcome me and listen to my performance during my visits. It makes me happy,' he said.

Bhattacharya: A Dedication to Parents and a Plea for Music Education

Santoor maestro Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the honour and called the Padma Shri 'a very prestigious recognition.' But the award also carried personal poignancy — his parents are no longer alive to witness it. 'My education began with my father, and if he were alive today, he would have been very happy. I dedicate this achievement to my teacher and to my parents,' he said.

Bhattacharya made a strong pitch for music education, urging parents and teachers to introduce children to music even if they show initial reluctance. 'Children should be encouraged to learn music because it is like a positive drug. If you keep practising it, after a few years you become addicted in a good way, and no negativity can affect you,' he said.

He pointed to the accessibility of music in the digital age: 'Even if someone just listens to it, nowadays, everything is easily available on YouTube. Love for music naturally develops by continuously listening to it.' He noted that his own students often arrive straight from school to sit with the santoor.

On the Padma Selection Process and the Santoor Legacy

Bhattacharya reflected on the broader Padma selection process, saying selections are made 'very intelligently,' though he acknowledged that many deserving contributors never receive recognition. He also noted the thinning ranks of senior santoor practitioners: 'In the field of santoor, there are not many seniors left now, as Pt. Shivkumar Sharma and Pt. Bhajan Sopori have passed away. So, I am among the senior-level practitioners in this field.'

About the 2025 Padma Awards

The Centre announced a total of 131 Padma Awards on Republic Day this year. The first Investiture Ceremony is set for 25 May at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where recipients including Jogi and Bhattacharya will formally receive their honours. Both artists represent a generation of classical and folk musicians whose contributions have long outpaced their institutional recognition.