When I Started Hammering The Hill, People Called Me Lunatic But That Steeled My Resolve ~ Dashrath Manjhi
Andy Dufresne one of the most loved fictional character in the history of hollywood played by Tim Robbins in movie The Shawshank Redemption,which still holds the #1 Spot In IMDB Listing. Amongst many things that Mr.Dufresne did in the movie, one was surprisingly amazing. In span of 20 years he dug a tunnel through the wall of his cell by a rock hammer.
But Hey that's a movie in real life this shit doesn't happen...right?
You Couldn't me more wrong.
It Took Him 22 Year A Hammer,Chisel And A Crowbar.
Gaya District of Bihar, India.
Atri a village that exist in Gaya District adjacent to a 300 feet high mountain, was regarded lowest of low in the society and there hence was denied of basic resources like water supply,electricity,education and even medical aid. On the other side of mountain another village existed Wazirganj,it was developed as compared to Atri.They had school, water supplies and medical aid. Everyday people of Atri had to cross that mountain on a dangerous path of about 75km so that they could get resources to fulfill their daily needs and children could attend the school in Wazirganj.Ever since the mountain has claimed lives of people of Atri but as always people got used to the harsh fact.
In 1959 mountain claimed another life ,that of Faguni Devi wife of Manjhi. While crossing the mountain she injured herself and the nearest medical aid was 75km around the mountain as a result of absence of medical aid and proper transport Faguni Devi died. Manjhi who was born in poverty and had to labour on daily wage jobs so as to earn enough money to run family decided to do what can only be seemed impossible at the time.
He sold his Goats to buy hammer, chisel and a crowbar.In 1960 he started chipping the mountain in the hopes of making a path,day by day inch by inch he chipped that mountain all by himself. He was soon recognized as a lunatic of the town. For many years his lunatic image spread around the district but some people saw the will and the passion and helped him, not with digging the path but lending him money to buy tools and food. By the year 1962 every single person in the district had known that the man the once thought lunatic has worked out a miracle,he was now known by the name of Mountain Man.
A man who couldn't earn much respect of his society while he was alive craved a path 360 feet long and 30 feet wide through a 300 feet high mountain connecting his village Atri to Wazirganj. But for man such as Manjhi the fight never stops, after making the path he started on a new journey knocking door to door for help so as to tar the path and connect path to main road. He walked all the way to New delhi on railway track where he submitted petitions for development of his village. In 2006 he then went to Bihar's Chief Minister's "Janta Darbar". Acting Chief Minister was Nitish Kumar who was generous enough to offer his seat to Manjhi, as a gesture of honour and respect rarely delivered to a man of Manjhi's background,decided to do whatever he could to help Manjhi.
The government acknowledged Manjhi's work and awarded him a plot of land which Manjhi returned back for the construction of hospital. He was also nominated for Padma Shree Award but forest ministry fought against claiming his work was illegal. On 17th August,2007 Manjhi died due to cancer but his legacy lives. Bihar activists demands Bharat Ratna for THE MOUNTAIN MAN
Milaap.org Asias largest crown funding platform for socail impact launched "THE MOUNTAIN MAN PROJECT" named after DASHRATH MANJHI
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