Dashrath Manjhi, popularly known as the “Mountain Man” of India is a legend who challenged a mighty mountain and set an example. Manjhi’s family who lives in Gehlaur village, near Gaya in Bihar had received help from the government earlier. However, the family has been helpless during the ongoing coronavirus crisis and is forced to sleep hungry as the lack of work prevails due to the global pandemic.
According to the reports, Manjhi’s granddaughter has been sick and the whole family is devastated due to her sickness.
The COVID-19 cases in Bihar has crossed the 20k mark on Thursday. To curb the spread of the deadly infection, Bihar government has imposed a complete lockdown in the state from July 16 to July 31. Due to the given situation, the daily wage workers and labourers are struggling for work.
Manjhi, who passed away in 2007 due to cancer at All India Institute of Medical Sciences has left behind an inspiration for many. He carved a path between Atri and Wazirgang through a 360 ft long, 30 ft wide and 25 ft high hillock, using only a hammer and chisel. It took 22 years, from 1960 to 1982, shortening the travel distance between the Atri and Wazirganj blocks of Gaya town from 55km to 15km.
In 2017, Arun Jaitley, then Union finance minister sanctioned Rs 300 crore in 2017 Budget for laying of a railway line between Wazirganj and Natesar in Gaya district, Gehlaur.
Moreover, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had famously made Dashrath Manjhi sit on his chief minister’s chair for an hour in 2006. The Bihar Government also proposed his name for the Padma Shree award in 2006 in the social service sector and also named a hospital after Manjhi.
Nitish Kumar, then, proposed to build a 3-kilometer long metal road from Gahlaur named after Dashrath Manjhi. On his death, he was given a state funeral by the Government of Bihar.
Before dying, Manjhi had given his thumb impression on an agreement and gave away “exclusive rights” to make a biopic on his life. The role of Manjhi was played by the Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the biopic ‘Manjhi: The Mountain Man’. Manjhi grew up as a poor labourer in Gehlaur village, near Gaya in Bihar, India. The ordinary man lived an ordinary life until he lost his wife.
