Family of a 3-time ex CM on brink of starvation in lockdown

Patna, 3 June (HS): Former chief ministers, ministers, legislators, mukhiyas and even ward counselors are known to lead a lavish lifestyle. But not in the case of three time chief minister of Bihar, Bhola Paswan Shastri. He was also the first Dalit Chief Minister of Bihar who served for three months in 1968, 12 days in 1969 and seven months in 1971-72.

His extended family is now on the brink of starvation with hardly a morsel to cook in the house. The lockdown has brought immense hardship to the family which lives in Bairgachhi village in Purnia district. The condition has turned so critical that the children often go to sleep without food and milk.

Shastri, who also served as a Union Minister, the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha and four times leader of the opposition in Bihar assembly, had no children of his own. His extended family headed by his nephew Viranchi Paswan today lives in a mud and straw hut. A few years back then Purnia MP Uday Singh had donated Rs 51 thousand to him for constructing a toilet.

Known as dry honest politician and man of principle, Shastri was a highly respected politician of Bihar. Burt after his demise on September 9, 1984, the world forgot all about him. Only an agriculture college in Purnia still exists in his name.

So simple and honest he was that he did absolutely nothing even for his ancestral village. Once when some relatives and villagers approached him for doing some work in the village, he told them, “If I order development works in my own village what will others say?”

Viranchi, who was like a son to Shastri, said today they work as farmhands to eke out a living. The extended family has 25 members and all of them are daily wage earners. He said, “Every year uncle’s birth anniversary is celebrated with much fanfare by the politicians who have eyes on Dalit votes. Some of them also visit us only to console but nobody has ever come to help us.” In 2014 his birth centenary was observed by most of the political parties in Patna.

Shastri was born on 21 September 1914 and breathed his last on 9 September 1984 at 70. He was also highly qualified and attained Shastri degree from Benaras Hindu University in 1938.