Ravi Shankar, the famed Indian sitar player who recently launched his own record label, East Meets West Music, at age 89, has now added another title to his name: Doctorate Degree of Laws from the University of Melbourne, for his "outstanding commitment to music and humanity."In Australia to perform with his daughter Anoushka in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney, the degree was presented to him by University of Melbourne Chancellor and Chairman of the Australia India Institute, Alex Chernov. The university statement reads: "A singular phenomenon in the classical music world of East and West, Pt. Ravi Shankar was the brain behind the 1971 'Concert For Bangladesh' with George Harrison to raise money for Bangladeshi refugees that paved the way for today's high-profile benefit concerts."
Previous recipients of the award include Burmese democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi and former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, while Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan turned down the honor last year, claiming he would not receive such acknowledgment in a country where his kinsmen are ill treated.
