Coach, weaver and saint: Meet region’s Padma Shri

Chandigarh: A spiritual leader championing the vision of a 'land without sorrow,' an 84-year-old migrant who turned a small town into a global weaving hub, and the legendary coach who built a national powerhouse for women's hockey from the ground up are among the trailblazers from the region chosen for the Padma Shri on the occasion of Republic Day. Sant Niranjan Dass, head of Dera Sachkhand Ballan—the most influential dera of the Ravidasia/Ad-dharmi community—is one of them.

An official government note released on the eve of Republic Day described him as a "spiritual leader for over 75 years" who established the Sarwan Dass Charitable Eye Hospital and Sarwan Dass Model School. The note further highlighted his work in promoting the ideal of Begampura (a 'land without sorrow'), preaching a vision where all people live free from fear and poverty. This recognition comes as the BJP intensifies efforts to connect with Scheduled Caste voters by engaging with specific communities, noting that Dera Ballan maintains a major following among the Ravidasia diaspora. Joining him on the list is Khem Raj Sundriyal. At 84, Sundriyal remains a cornerstone of India's handloom industry. Originally from the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, he migrated to Panipat over six decades ago. After honing his craft through a specialised course in Kashmir, he dedicated his life to training more than 10,000 weavers in traditional skills. He is widely credited as the pioneer behind Panipat's transformation into a global hub for the export of handlooms and rugs.


The honours also celebrate Baldev Singh, the Dronacharya awardee and visionary behind the transformation of women's hockey in Shahabad, Haryana. As a legendary coach and strict disciplinarian, he turned the Shahabad Markanda training centre into a national powerhouse, producing over 100 international players, including former captain Rani Rampal. Beyond coaching, he often personally funded the training of underprivileged athletes. Among the many stars mentored by Singh is Savita Punia (also awarded Padma Shri), the veteran goalkeeper of the Indian national team. Since her debut in 2009, the 35-year-old Arjuna Awardee has become a mainstay of Indian hockey, earning the nickname "The Great Wall of India" for her heroic performance during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Completing this group of distinguished awardees is Dr Prem Lal Gautam, a champion of agricultural biodiversity. Born in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, the distinguished agricultural scientist is an expert in crop variety improvement. An alumnus of Himachal Agriculture College, Solan, he earned his PhD in genetics from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi. Dr Gautam is credited with the development and improvement of 12 crop varieties, including bread wheat, foxtail millet, soybean, and buckwheat. His career is defined by his role in augmenting plant germplasm for the National Gene Bank and his contributions to the National Policy Action Plan on Agrobiodiversity, continuing his service today at Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University in Bihar.
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