India plans to take railways to legendry ‘mountain man’ Dasrath Manjhi’s home

PATNA: Indian authorities have planned to take the railways to Gehlore, the native village of legendry ‘mountain man” Dashrath Manjhi who tore apart rocky mountain single-handedly to carve out a road using chisel and hammer.

Federal railway minister Suresh Prabhu made these revelation at a function held in New Delhi on Wednesday.

“I will discuss the issue with the officials. The railway station will be named after Dashrath Manjhi as honour of his great work done by him,” Prabhu told the media yesterday.

Manjhi who died in 2007 fighting the deadly cancer had cut through a rocky mountain constantly for over two decades to make a way for others after his wife Falguni Devi died for want of timely medical help owing to lack of road in 1960’s.

The incident prompted him to do so something to ensure others did not meet the same fate as his wife.

For the next 22 years from 1960 to 1982, Manjhi made it a daily routine to cut through the rocky Gehlaur hills in his home district of Gaya using a little chisel and hammer.

Eventually, he was able to create a 30 feet-wide and 360 feet-long road which shortened the distance between Wazirgnaj and Atri blocks of Gaya district from 50 km to 10 km.

Such was his affinity from the place that after his death, his body was buried right near the road which he had built single-handedly.

He died at the age of 73 in 2007 after a prolonged illness. He was suffering from cancer of gall bladder.

Inspired by his incredible tale, actor-filmmaker Aamir Khan had recently dedicated the opening episode of his popular TV show ‘Satyamev Jayate’ to late Manjhi.

Earlier, former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had vacated his own chair to let the man seat when he once visited his weekly Junta Durbar to meet the chief minister in connection with the problems in his village.