Latest news with #Manjhi–TheMountainMan
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
'Will always inspire', Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to Mountain Man Dashrath Manjhi
New Delhi: Ahead of his 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' from Bihar's Sasaram on Sunday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi paid tribute to 'Mountain Man' Dashrath Manjhi on his death anniversary and said that the latter will "always continue to inspire us all". In a post on the social media platform X in Hindi, he said that Manjhi's "struggle reminds us that if intentions are strong, no obstacle is too big". "His determination and passion to accomplish what he set out to do will always inspire us all," Rahul Gandhi said. Notably, Manjhi was known as 'Mountain Man' for single-handedly carving a path through a hill in Gehlaur village to connect it with Wajirganj block in Bihar's Gaya district. Dashrath Manjhi, a native of Gehlaur village, cut a mountain to make a road between his village and Wazirganj. It took him 22 years to work every day with a hammer and a chisel. When his wife died in 1959 after being injured from falling from the mountain, and the same mountain blocked easy access to a nearby hospital in time, he decided to carve a path. With this feat done single-handedly, he is revered by the Manjhi community. Noting his contribution, a stamp featuring Dashrath Manjhi was released by India Post in the "Personalities of Bihar" series on December 26, 2016. A Hindi movie, 'Manjhi – The Mountain Man', was released and well-received. Dashrath Manjhi has a larger-than-life image among the Musahar community. The Bihar government has built a statue and memorial of Dashrath Manjhi. Gehlaur is one of the tourist attractions in the district. A large number of Buddhists come to Bodh Gaya every year, and the majority of them also visit the memorial of the Mountain Man. Majhi's son, Bhagirath Manjhi, is a Congress leader and was inducted into the grand old party days after participating in the 'Samvidhaan Suraksha Sammelan' in Patna. Dashrath Manjhi's son-in-law, Mithun Manjhi, is in the JD(U).
New Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Jigar Nagda Interview: Ignorance is what ails the oppressed communities
Batti, especially when Bheru gets turned down every time he approaches the officials, might remind audiences of Nawazuddin Siddique's Manjhi – The Mountain Man, where the lead knocks on every door to make a road for his village. Not all government schemes reach the last person in the social ladder, and in most cases, this last person will either be a Dalit or an Adivasi. Jigar affirms, "In both the cases (Batti and Manjhi), the grieving party belongs to the downtrodden community. The reason is the last mile connectivity of schemes is the responsibility of a Sarpanch and the Panchayat authorities. Belonging to a dominant caste enables a person to wield power and it is that power that makes someone a village head. Their inherent caste bias gets them worked up with the prospect of treating the Dalit/tribal people on par with those in their community. Also, corruption plays a huge role. Sarpanchs like the one I show in Batti will put up a facade of being do-gooders and lend money to the tribal people only to get the lion's share of their crops as interest, but will shut the door if approached for amenities. This way, even the land-owning tribal person will be at a disadvantaged position. When people can discriminate against people based on their caste just for the sake of 'superiority,' will they not do it if they can make themselves richer? The oppressed are falling prey to exploitation or accepting their status quo as 'normal' due to their ignorance." Bheru is the 'black sheep' who wants to break free of this inhumane system, coupled with the generational trauma, and as a result, faces stiff resistance from several corners. Incidentally, his father Nathu (Mahendra Shrivas) is the first hurdle. "Being denied basic rights is Hobson's choice for Nathu, but he chides his son, asking, 'Haven't our women lived in houses without power?' This is, of course, to dodge the guilt of his inability to obtain electricity, resulting in a close one's death. Beneath his rude opposition to his son's 'rebelliousness,' he feels helpless, and even tells Bheru that if he was as active as his son, he might have done a lot more in his youth," says Jigar, who points out the differences in the father figures in the film, including the Sarpanch.
