Srinagar: The recently conferred ‘Bharat Gaurav” award to the Board of School Education Chairman Dr. Sheikh Bashir has set the tongues wagging in the higher echelons of bureaucracy. Sources have told Kashmir Monitor that award to BOSE Chairman and his subsequent travel to Abu Dhabi to receive an award that is known to be of ‘paid’ category could well become a major sources of headache, especially after the ‘Zaalim’ faux pas in School text books.
Furthermore Minister’s as well as top bureaucrats have taken strong exception  to the fact that the BOSE felicitated its Chairman for receiving this ‘award’ through paid advertisements and press releases. “The award is not of such an importance as it has been given much hype by the media. It is well known that Bharat Gaurav is a paid award and anyone who wants to get this award has to pay to the organization. Any one who can afford the award can get it”, a source whose close friend had managed to get himself awarded told Kashmir Monitor. “One doesn’t even need to have high contacts to get this
award”, he added.
The award which is conferred by India International Friendship Society is a voluntary organization that has a world wide network of Indian diaspora. “The activities of the Society move round the nucleus of patriotism created by the founders.  The organization has been relentlessly working towards creating a congenial and healthy environment for the Non-Resident Indians reveal the emotional feelings towards their motherland that they always nurture and actively participate in the developmental projects of the country”, the organizations website claims adding , “To collect a most reasonable delegate fee from the Awardee, in order to raise the necessary funds. The delegate fee, however, is strictly voluntary and no delegate is under any obligation to pay”.
From more than a month press releases have been issued by the department about the award. While as sources in the department reveal that the chairman has been consistently paying for these press releases to get into the limelight. The statement from Bashir had said that the ‘prestigious award’ was given to Dr. Bashir for his contribution in the field of education and participation in the various fields of literature and education. Dr Bashir had also participated in seminar on Indo- Dubai friendship during his visit there, the statement added.
Interestingly when contacted by The Kashmir Monitor contacted the BOSE Chairman about the award, he said he was unaware about the people who had selected him. “I don’t know the people who have selected me for this award”, he said. When asked whether he had paid for it or not Bashir said, “Why should I pay for the award. I got it because of my
contribution. However I have to pay the traveling and dearness allowances myself. I don’t know the people who are issuing these press releases. They can be my well wishers as I have a lot of these. It is better to talk to those people who have sent you these press
releases,” BOSE Chair man said.