Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar's two-day visit to his native village in Bihar seems to have brought a festive mood to the area. M I Khan/Rediff.com reports on how the family prepares to welcome the student leader.
Meena Devi is busy early on Friday to prepare special aloo-paratha and desi chatni for her son, Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar who is visiting his home at Bihat in Bihar’s Begusarai district for the first time since his arrest and eventual bail on charges of sedition made him a household name across the country.
“I am cooking some special dishes including aloo-paratha for my son, who is visiting us after a long time. I’ve never been as happy as I am today,” Kanhaiya’s mother Meena, an anganwadi worker who earns Rs 3,000 a month, told Rediff.com.
Meena said Kanhaiya’s favourite food is aloo-paratha as prepared by her. “I was waiting for months to cook for Kanhaiya as he loves aloo-parathas,” she said. “During his two-day-long stay in Bihat, I would get enough time to talk to him alone.”
According to her, Kanhaiya will also attend a marriage of a family member during his stay.
Kanhaiya’s father Jaishankar Singh, who is in his early 60s and paralysed on one side of his body, too expressed his happiness over his son’s visit.
Kanhaiya’s parents stay in Bihat, which has been a stronghold of the Communist Party of India for decades.
Also read: The Red Earth that made Kanhaiya Kumar
His extended family and locals are also in a celebratory mood ahead of Kanhaiya's visit.
“We are proud of Kanhaiya. He is a son of the soil and our real hero,” Mukesh Kumar, a resident of Bihat, said.
Ashok Singh, a neighbour of Kanhaiya’s, said there is a festive mood in the village. People from neighbouring villages are also coming in to meet Kanhaiya. “It appears that Kanhaiya’s visit has brought out the festive side of the village.”
In view of the threat perception to Kanhaiya’s life, strict security arrangements have been made in Bihat and around his home during his stay, district police official Ranjit Kumar Mishra stated.
Kanhaiya arrived in Patna on Wednesday and participated in a Pratirodh march in the city. The JNUSU president also addressed a public meeting of the CPI in Begusarai on Thursday, where he was given a rousing welcome.
