Nitish recalls 'Mountain Man' Dashrath Manjhi's effort

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today recalled the herculean task of 'Mountain Man' Dashrath Manjhi, in carving a path through a hillock using a hammer and a chisel, and promised beautification of his native Gehlaur village in Gaya district.
Kumar was speaking at a function after unveiling Manjhi's statue and inaugurating a festival in his name at his native village.
Manjhi was a poor labourer who had carved a path 110 m long, through a hillock using only a hammer and chisel, to shorten the distance between Atri and Wazirganj blocks of Gaya town from 55 km to 15 km.

He had taken 22 years to build the path.
Reaclling his interaction with Dashrath Manjhi in 2006, the CM said "He had come to meet me while I was talking to media after 'Janata Ke Darbar mein Mukhya Mantri programme'.
When I saw him I had vacated my chair for him and urged him to address mediapersons about his rare feat", the CM said.

"Another information about him says that when he was forbidden from carrying a journey by train to Delhi, he walked along the track to the national capital," Kumar said praising the 'Mountain Man's' determination.
The CM said, Manjhi's biography has been included in school textbooks for the future generation to learn a lesson from his determination.

Manjhi passed away on Aug 17, 2007 at the age of 73.
Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, former Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, Agriculture minister Prem Kumar and his ministerial colleague in Tourism department Pramod Kumar were also present at today's programme.