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Saturday 6 February 2016

Lies of Nobel





India, including third most of the world intellectuals awe about International Prizes. The assumption about the Nobel Prize, is that it promotes human values, ethics and collectivism. The result is that the supporter of individual freedom, nutritious of western values and a long term arena of cold war, there is lack of analytical content in our country for this award. A novel "The Prize", written in 1962 by Irving Wallace, is a great help to understand the reality of the Nobel Prize. The key feature of this seven hundred and fifty page novel is that in it a story has been woven on the bases of facts, and layer by layer the reader gets to know about the international intrigues and the Cold War that plays a big role behind the Nobel Prize.

A novel written after the constant exploring that went for fifteen years, the author Irving had said, "Only the characters are fictitious in this novel, all the other information is absolutely true."

By writing "The Prize" Irving Wallace have brought front all the lies of Nobel. This novel is based on the yearly Nobel Prize function. A movie was made on this novel by the same name, in which Paul Newman too had acted. In the story, six people from around the world are invited to Stalk-home to accept the Nobel Prize. This was a life changing point for them, in which personal love affairs and political conspiracies were going to swallow them whole.

Plot of "The Prize" revolves around six prize winners from Italy, France and America. In this plot the four concerns of 1960: scientific revolution, sex revolution, hawllowcoast and the Cold war, are explained in a brilliant way.

Don't you smell politics behind the Nobel Prize? Just take a look at how politics has had an effect on these prizes; in 1996 Nobel Peace award was given to Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo and José Ramos Horta. Both were the supporters of the movement for East Temor's independence from Indonesia. Because of the Nobel Prize this movement got support from all around the world and in the end in 1999 Indonesia had to leave East Temor, Horta was the spokesperson of Freferlin at that time.

The most controversial decision in the history of the Nobel Prize was the Nobel Prize that was given in 1994 to Israel's Prime Minister Raybin, Foreign Minister Simon and Philistine Minister Yaser Arafat.

Although these three had signed on Oslo union, but had failed miserably in their attempts. Raybin was murdered in 1995 and Yaser had been depressed in the last days of his life.

America's 44'th President Barak Hussain Obama getting a Nobel Prize in just nine months of his service was not shocking. Norway's previous Prime Minister (who also happened to be the president of the selection committee) Thorbjørn Jagland had the biggest hand behind this.

Apart from the Prize itself one can also not ignore the hooping Prize money of 1.3million dollars. With such politicization it is rather natural for speculations, disputes and criticism to connect with it.

There is an interesting description in "The Prize" about the splitting of the Prize money. Dr.Garrett and Dr.Ferrell have to split the Prize money and a dispute takes place. The profitable relations between the Nobel Prize winners and International companies is also revealed in a very fit form in this novel.

When the British actor Harold Printer got literature award in 2005, his reaction was "I did not knew I was even in this race. Politics is responsible for this award, not my plays". Over the nomination of Boris Pasternak in 1958, the dispute between the West and Soviet Sang went so big that Boris became the first man ever to refuse the award. A similar situation came in 1970 when Alexander Solzhenitsyn was nominated for this award.

Irving Wallace's novel "The Prize" also gives the information about how Mahatma Gandhi, Chaikhav, Tolstoy, Ebson, Graham Green, Verginia Wolf, Frank Kafka and James Joyce was not given the Nobel Prize and the reason behind it was International Politics. This is an historical fact. Satrat had refused to take this award saying, "This is nothing but a potato stack".

Indians might be surprised to know this but even after three time of suggestion, there was no discussion on Mahatma Gandhi's name. After the Mary-go-round of yes and no's the academy finally agreed to nominate him in 1948 but after his murder in that very year his nomination was rejected. After his death, instead of giving him the award the committee decided to give this award to no one. Wasn't this unfair for Gandhi ji?

Pointing out the politicization and hypocrisy in international awards is same as saying what you want everytime through tears. Such person loses faith of all. International ideologies plays a big role in changing commercial interests, political power and priorities of the society.

When smoke rises from the forest, then it is a proof that there is a fire. As said by Dushyant, "Mat kaho aakash mai kohra ghana hai. Yai kisi ki vyaktigat aalochna hai.."

6 comments:

  1. Like every award there is always an element of subjectivity and may be politics involved. To get a Nobel prize one has to be nominated. So a person with great networking skill may have the advantage. All the nominated people may be of similar scientific calibre. Then the politics come in. This may not be true of peace prize and President Obama getting it. Remember, Mahatma Gandhi was not considered for peace Nobel, though he is considered the apostle of peace.

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    1. Abhijit There is no doubt that Obama is one of the most peaceful President America has had and neither is there any doubt on his qualifications, but getting the prize within nine months of his five year presidential time; it makes one doubt. As for India, interference of politics is quite transparent in the National awards such as PadmaShree and PadmaBhushan; people who deserve rarely gets these as actors and many others who have more influence are preferred.

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  2. This is the new information for me..

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  3. Seems like this will be my next must-read book, this post is intriguing :) Thanks!

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    1. Thank you, Richa :) I'm glad to have helped add a new book in your reading-list.

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