How will returning awards affect govt? asks Milkha Singh

CHANDIGARH: Legendary athlete Milkha Singh today joined the debate over returning of awards, saying there are other ways to protest in a democratic country like India and giving back awards will not set a system right.

"What is the idea behind returning awards? What aim will one achieve by doing so?" he questioned.

"If today, I get up and say that I want to return my Padma Shri, then my son (ace golfer Jeev Milkha Singh) will also talk on similar lines, but how is it going to help things and set the system right, about which they (those who talk of intolerance) feel it is so?" Milkha asked.

"If you have to express your views on something, returning awards is definitely not the answer. The government has given you an award keeping in view your achievements, if you return it, how does it affect the government," he said.

Several authors, artistes and historians have returned their awards recently to protest against what they call as " rising intolerance" in the country.

When asked about Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan also joining the chorus, the 85-year-old 'Flying Sikh' said, "I have read about his comments, I think these are a bit too much".

Aamir had yesterday said that he has been "alarmed" by a number of incidents and his wife Kiran Rao even suggested that they should leave the country.