Jitendra Upadhyay, Siwan. December 3, 1884 is recorded in golden letters in the pages of history. The first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad was born on this day in Jiradei. He was such a talent, who not only through his educational prowess but also through the freedom movement and as the President of the Constituent Assembly after independence, gave us a Constitution which is the identity of the unbroken democracy of the nation. Jiradei, the land of that personality, did not get the recognition it deserves on the national horizon. It can be said that in the hands of those policy makers, preparations are going on in full swing at his ancestral home for the birth anniversary celebrations of Dr. Rajendra.
Political personalities and administrative officials will arrive at the ceremony to garland the statue. But the people here are raising the question that even after 75 years of independence, there has been no change in the condition and direction of this village. The ancestral house of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, controlled by the Archaeological Department, is a victim of government neglect. The luxurious buildings here are reminiscent of their past. This house has been declared of national importance under the Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. The then Prime Minister Chandrashekhar handed over the crumbling ancestral home to the Central Archeology Department to save it. In 2010, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced to make it a tourist destination. Despite this, this luxurious building could not be rejuvenated. 84-year-old Bacha Singh, former manager of the ancestral property here, said that tourists including foreigners and school students come to see this building. But there is nothing in the name of system here.
The house where Babu was born is dilapidated
The house where Rajendra Babu was born has fallen into disrepair due to lack of maintenance. Its tiles are falling apart. Whose remains are on the verge of extinction. For centuries, a lamp was lit in Babu’s house and the Tulsi Mata plant located in the courtyard of the building was worshipped. This sequence continued continuously. Babu’s family was a devotee of Vaishnav religion. As soon as the Indian Archeology Department took it under its control, the lamp and worship everything stopped. Along with this, the worship of Kuldevi also stopped. Social worker Lalbabu Prasad told that at least five employees have been appointed. But no one stays there at night nor is there a visitor register.
Half the population of the area is deprived of higher education
In Dr. Rajendra Prasad’s land, half the population is a victim of government neglect. At the time of elections, every party gives assurance for the provision of higher education for girls. After winning the elections, this issue disappears from their agenda. Rajendra Babu himself brought glory to the country by pursuing higher education. But the dreams seen by Babu in his birthplace did not come true. There is not a single college here where undergraduate and postgraduate studies are conducted. The high school has been upgraded to intermediate. For higher education, students have to travel a distance of 10 to 15 kilometers to the district headquarters. There are 111 schools including primary, middle and high schools in 16 panchayats of the block. The population of the entire block is more than two lakhs.
Babu’s village waiting for development
Jiradei railway station has been built in the name of development. But even there the railway administration has not yet shown favor. Even after making Jiradei Railway Station a model station, the passenger facilities are inadequate. There is neither stoppage of major trains nor toilets and waiting room at the station. On the other hand, the people of the village have more complaints against the local administration including the government. The water tower built by spending a huge budget for drinking water supply has become a showpiece. Its motor cannot run due to low voltage. After Jiradei was selected under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana 8 years ago, people once again had hope for overall development as promised. But even this hope has not yet materialized. Due to the strict rules of the Archeology Department, other permanent constructions including houses of dozens of families are not being done. The proposal to relax this law was also not implemented here.
The Government Ayurvedic Dispensary has turned into ruins. The building of this only Ayurvedic hospital built among 16 panchayats is now of no use. The foundation stone of the Government Ayurvedic Dispensary was laid by Deshratna’s wife Rajvanshi Devi in the year 1957. His thinking was that people here should not have to go to other places due to health related problems.
Some changes took place on the cognizance of the High Court
After the High Court took cognizance of the PIL, a ray of hope has arisen for the people on the tarnished image of development. On the instructions of the court, a three-member committee has been formed. Now the hopes of the people have risen. Teacher Krishna Kumar Singh says that in the month of October, Chief Justice of the High Court Sanjay Karol had come on a personal visit to pay homage to the ancestral birthplace of Deshratna. He observed every aspect for 45 minutes and expressed great concern and sorrow after seeing the mismanagement of this building. Patna High Court sought reply from the Central and State Government and then the Center allocated a fund of Rs 17.50 lakh. With this amount, the boundary wall and pathway of Babu’s ancestral house were constructed. People here say that some work has been done on the initiative of the High Court. This effort is inadequate for the dilapidated condition of the house. A big budget is required to bring back the past of Babu’s ancestral house.