On Tuesday, when senior BJP leader L.K. Advani and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar visited socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan’s birthplace in Lala Tola in Sitabdiara (Chapra), JP’s family members, including his cousin brother K.C.
Verma and his wife Mangi Devi, could not attend the function. Both were in Delhi as Mr Verma is undergoing eye treatment.
JP’s ancestral home is being looked after by Sri Bhagwan, a caretaker. Mr Verma’s son Alok, who lives in Chapra town, visits the home regularly and was there on Tuesday with his family.
Bihar chief minister flagged off Mr Advani’s Janchetna yatra on JP Narayan’s birth anniversary on Tuesday. Other senior BJP leaders, including deputy chief minister Sushil Modi, Leaders of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, also visited Sitabdiara. Senior BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad was also present on the occasion.
“It is such a big occasion but we are not there. This is very unfortunate for us. We would have been there but my husband is getting his eye treated here (in Delhi). But we saw everything on the news channels. Nitishji and Advaniji visited our home to pay tribute to bhaiyyaji (JP),” Mangi Devi told this newspaper from New Delhi.
While most of the JP’s family members have migrated to Uttar Pradesh and some are in Delhi, the Verma family makes it a point to visit Sitabdiara as frequently as they can.
Wishing luck to Mr Advani’s yatra, Mangi Devi said her family would like to participate in the yatra as it is for a “good cause” and on the lines of the JP movement of the mid-1970s.
At Airport Ground in Chapra from where the yatra, a modified bus, was flagged off by Mr Nitish Kumar, many people had gathered from Sitabdiara as well as neighbouring villages. JP’s photograph prominently figured in posters along with Mr Advani, Mr Kumar and the BJP top brass. The BJP’s state unit had installed 84 wooden gates to the venue. Mr Advani is turning 84 next month. All through the way from Chapra to the Airport ground, the BJP’s flags and posters of Nitish Kumar, Mr Advani and BJP top brass were posted.