A former MP who rolls beedis in MP's Sagar district

Away from rancorous political debates and rhetorics lives a former member of parliament in a common house in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district. He uses a bicycle to commute and often rolls 'beedi' to keep himself busy at a ripe age of 82.

Popular as "cycle wale netaji", Ram Singh Ahirwar lives in a narrow lane of Sagar city's Pukhyau Tori area. Ahirwar, a graduate in philosophy and post-graduate in English literature, won the 1967 Lok Sabha election as Jana Sangh candidate from the constituency defeating Sahodara Rai.

"I never felt the need for a motor vehicle nor did I try to own one," he says. "I have no regrets".

A few months back Ahirwar suffered partial paralysis which has affected his speech. "But I haven't left cycling and I continue to roll scores of 'beedis' for some extra income," says Ahirwar.

He has fought his battle for years to get his pension. "My pension started coming in 2005," said Ahirwar, who belongs to Scheduled Tribes category.

Recalling his initial years in politics, he said while he was a college student, Jana Sangh announced him a candidate for the Lok Sabha polls. "Fortunately, I won."

Jana Sangh and some other parties unitedly formed Janata Party in 1977, which later bifurcated. The erstwhile Jana Sangh was reborn as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh for nearly one-and-a half decades, but no body from the party gave him any importance.

Though Ahirwar is satisfied with his life, his wife Rajrani questions the luxurious lives of today's politicians. "Facilities are okay, but we had to struggle even for pension for years. This is the only income for us now," she said.

(Sundeep Pouranik can be contacted at sundeep.p@ians.in)

--IANS

hindi-rs/prs