By Akhil Kumar:
Dashrath Manjhi, also known as the ‘Mountain Man’, carved a road through a 360-foot mountain armed with only a hammer, chisel, and crowbar. He worked tirelessly for 22 years to achieve this stupendous feat, even when he was constantly ridiculed for this ‘madness’. Dashrath was born into a poor labourer family in Gehlaur village in Bihar and belonged to the Musahar community, regarded as the lowest among the state’s Scheduled Castes. The former CM of Bihar, Jitan Ram Manjhi, also belongs to the same community, and had demanded the Bharat Ratna for Dashrath.
Dashrath Manjhi has become a legend of sorts, and serves as an inspiration not just for the local community, but for all those who have heard of his story. We published an article featuring him a couple of years back, you can read it here for more details. You might have already heard of him if you saw the first episode of the 2nd season of ‘Satyamev Jayate’, which was dedicated to Dashrath Manjhi. Bollywood director Manish Jha has even announced a film, Manjhi, based on his life.
The Mountain Man did this so that the people in his village didn’t have to trek through the mountains for basic amenities. “All I want is a road, a school, and a hospital for our people. They work so hard. It will help the women and children in our village,” he said. Milaap, a crowdfunding platform, is working with the Dashrath Manjhi Trust to build a school for the children of Gehlour village. The school would not only educate the young but would also conduct an employment training school to help the local youth to earn their living. Click here to know more about the campaign and how you can contribute.
