Many fans and celebs took to social media to congratulate Ilayaraja when it was announced on Thursday evening that he would be conferred the Padma Vibhushan award, the second highest civilian award in India. All this celebration soon transformed into anger when a noted daily published a story implying that Ilayaraja was honored just because of his caste and not because of his achievements.
The headline reads, ‘Dalit outreach with Ilaiyaraaja’s Padma’, and the story published by the newspaper conveyed that Ilayaraja was conferred the Padma Vibhushan in order to placate the Dalits.
This story has invited wrath of fans on social media. Many called it ‘unfair’ and ‘insulting’ to a legend like Ilayaraja, considered by many as the greatest South Indian music composer of all time. Tagging the newspaper in their posts, several fans, media people and celebs wrote that it was grossly unfair to confine a great man to the narrow frame of caste.
‘People love Ilayaraja’s music, they love him because of his talent and most people even don’t know what his caste is, his music is his identity,’ said an anguished fan. Many fans demanded an apology from the newspaper to Ilayaraja for insulting him and his achievement.