Ara: At a time when disputes over even small parcels of land routinely grab headlines, a village head in Bhojpur district has chosen a different path. To celebrate the fifth birthday of his daughter, Aditi Raj, 48-year-old mukhiya Rakesh Kumar Singh has donated 18 katthas of his private land to more than 40 Mahadalit families in his panchayat who do not own a home.The gesture by the mukhiya of Sarathuan panchayat recalls a unique initiative in Bhagalpur, where villagers plant five fruit-bearing trees to mark the birth of a girl child.“It was my younger daughter’s fifth birthday a couple of days ago. I chose this auspicious occasion to do something worthwhile for those poor dalit families who have no roof over their head. The land that I am donating is not my ancestral property. It is my private land purchased by myself… Mukhiya ke fund se toh sab koi kharch karta hai ..nali-gully banwata hai ..main kuchh anokha aur apne bal pe karna chahta hoon ..that’s why I donated my private land to the homeless,” Rakesh told reporters on Tuesday.For Rakesh, helping the poor goes beyond providing land. He says he also arranges vehicles and other necessities for the cremation of people who cannot afford a dignified farewell.“I arrange all the things, even the vehicle for the cremation of a poor person after his demise. Now they have requested me to purchase a bus for going to the cremation ghat which I am trying to arrange. Lending a helping hand gives me a sense of purpose to my life,” he said.Recalling the origins of his social commitment, Rakesh said he first dreamt of becoming mukhiya after witnessing a panchayat election in 2001.“In 2001 when for the first time I witnessed a panchayat election in my village I developed a fervent desire to get elected as the mukhiya of my panchayat and do something worthwhile for the have-nots of my panchayat, which has six tolas of Mahadalit families, most of whom have no roof over their head,” he said.Elected in 2016, Rakesh said he considers the people who voted for him as his “Bhagwan”.“I want to leave a legacy where the public representatives will not only be confined to spending on public welfare out of Government fund only. The public representatives should go an extra mile and help the needy out of their own resources too, not necessarily financially but by showing empathy in both pain and pleasure of the people who have elected them,” he added.
Rakesh Kumar Singh, mukhiya of Sarathuan panchayat, has donated 18 katthas of his private land to more than 40 Mahadalit families who do not own a home
Rakesh Kumar Singh, mukhiya of Sarathuan panchayat, has donated 18 katthas of his private land to more than 40 Mahadalit families who do not own a home
