Who doesn’t like rags to riches stories, especially in India? Most of our Bollywood movies glorify or are based on this phenomenon. Indians or for that matter people anywhere in the world like the inspirational story of the come-up
and the underdog.
People regularly root for the underdog. One such story of an underdog achieving something spectacular was seen recently in Bihar. In Bihar Munni Devi, a 40-year-old woman from Khusrupur who used to wash and iron clothes on a roadside cart opposite Bakhtiarpur railway station has now become a lawmaker.
Who is Munni Devi?
Munni Devi, from Bakhtiyarpur in Patna, washes other people’s clothes for a living. She has been associated with the party for over 18 years and is the Secretary-General of its women’s wing. With the newly found political power, Munni Devi wants to work to speak out against inflation and unemployment.
The beautiful case of Munni Devi
Munni was handed over the certificate of election as a member of the Bihar Legislative council by the returning officer on Monday evening as she was elected uncontested to the Upper House as an RJD candidate. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav spotted her during a rally in Ranchi in 2019. He was hugely impressed by her aggressiveness in 2019 at Ranchi, where she was seen arguing with the security personnel who prevented her from meeting Lalu.
She had travelled 350 km from Bakhiarpur to Ranchi to meet Lalu. Last week she was summoned by the RJD chief, whom she calls Bhagwan (God) and was handed over papers to file nominations as an RJD candidate for the Bihar legislative council from the Assembly constituency for which elections were scheduled on June 20.
The reaction of Munni Devi to the whole event.
Munni in her interactions with the media told that she wasn’t even aware of selection by the party. To be honest she panicked when she saw gipsies coming toward her. She was afraid that the gypsies were police who had come to arrest her as she was part of various demonstrations. But when she came to know about the truth she was thoroughly excited saying “Till now, I was cleaning dirty clothes, and now will engage in cleaning politics of corruption and communal tension in NDA government in Bihar.”
She was immensely full of gratitude towards the Yadav family saying statements like “When I met (mother) Rabri Devi, she told me about the party’s decision to make me an MLC and I could not believe it.” As a sign of respect, she calls Lalu Prasad Yadav as Bhagwan (God) and his wife Rabdi Devi’s Mother.
She was also warmly greeted by the family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav especially his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav who called her his elder sister and introduced her to all the members of his family. He also left her home in his car when he came to know that she had come to their house without any means of transportation.
Written by: Akhil Menon
References: The Ground Report and Free Press Journal
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