The symbolic power in returning an honour

Dozens of personalities—from politicians to athletes and writers—have expressed solidarity with the ongoing farmers’ protest by returning their awards. What does this really mean?

It’s been a crazy year so far. It started with the protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act, which led to communal riots and loss of lives. Then came the mother of all health emergencies in the form of COVID-19, sending the country into lockdown mode and the economy into a tailspin. Before that could even abate, angry farmers began to mass on Delhi’s borders, threatening to shut down the nation’s capital.

These farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, have been knocking on Delhi’s door for almost two weeks now in the hope that the government will address their …

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Pradip K. Saha

Pradip is a co-founder at The Morning Context and leads our newsletters vertical. He has previously worked at The Ken as a staff writer, at Mint as an assistant features editor and the Deccan Chronicle as a copy editor. He works with a slew of expert newsletter writers across subjects and domains. His own writing spans the gig economy, farmers caught in the crossfire of technology, global warming and parents trapped in the edtech wave. Some of his best stories have come at the intersection of technology and human endeavour.

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pradip@mailtmc.com

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