by You must have heard the stories of those who hide their identity for some reason, but if someone takes 18 years to prove their existence, then it is bound to be astonishing. Lal Bihari of Ajamgarh was declared dead in government documents and Then, in proving himself alive, it took 18 years and he himself has now kept his surname ‘Mritak‘.
The film based on this happy ending story of the deceased Lal bihari is going to be released on the OTT platform on January 7, in which his character is being played by actor Pankaj Tripathi. The film is produced by Satish Kaushik.
Lal Bihari’s father, who lives in Amilo village of Azamgarh, died only when he was not even a year old. His mother brought him to his home township. Lal Bihari could not write his studies, but after learning the work of weaving saris, he was able to make a living.
How Lal Bihari became ‘dead’
He recounts the story of his own death, “When I was 20-21 years old, I thought why not set up a Banarasi sari factory. There was an acre of land in the village in the name of my father, whose heir I was.”
When we started collecting paper to take a loan, it came to know that on 30 July 1976, Naib Tehsildar Sadar, Azamgarh declared me dead on paper and all the land was given to my cousins. That is where my struggle started. ”
Lal Bihari says that it was not that people did not know that he was alive, but nobody wanted to get into paperwork. They say that despite knowing everything, the relatives did not even support them initially and their fight went on.
Lal Bihari says that when people started making fun of me instead of understanding, I decided that now I will live by proving myself alive. He says, “People advised to go to court.
When I talked to the lawyers, it came to know that the matter is for the land, the case will go long. First I thought I should leave, who should be in legal trouble. That is why I asked the government officials for help.”
There would be no such officer left in Azamgarh district whose I have not knocked on the door, I have not begged for justice, but there was no hearing. ”
18 years of struggle
When Lal Bihari was tired of fighting for life on paper for ten years, local MLA Shyam Lal Kanaujia suggested him a way. Lal Bihari says, “This is from the year 1986.
I was tired of traveling around the officers. I spent a lot of money too. Then our MLA said that this will not happen. Make some ruckus, then there will be a hearing.
Their Admitting the matter, I reached the assembly and threw a leaflet while sitting in the audience gallery when some important issue was being discussed in the House. ”
Unfortunately, Bihari did not leave Lal Bihari here either. He was questioned for hours and later released. It was also reported in the newspapers that ‘the man who threw the paper in the house has been arrested’. Yes, some guards of the assembly may have been suspended due to negligence in duty.
Lal Bihari says that to prove himself alive, he staged a sit-in in Azamgarh, Lucknow and Delhi more than a hundred times.
Once in Delhi, he also fasted for 56 hours continuously, but the revenue department did not agree to consider him alive. He says, “I also filled the widow pension form in my wife’s name, but that too was rejected.
But I had decided not to give up. In 1988, the former PM from Allahabad contested against PM VP Singh and Kanshi Ram. I have contested a total of six times. ”
In the year 1994, the Chief Development Officer of Azamgarh called Lal Bihari to his office and heard his problem. Lal Bihari says that for the first time, someone had listened to him seriously. Within two weeks, the CDO brought him alive in the documents, which he really was.
Land given to fraudulent relatives
But his journey was still not over. He says, “When CDO Sahab reported me to be alive, that report disappeared from the tehsil.
But the report was searched again and finally on June 30, 1994, I was declared alive on paper. He became alive, but as a deceased person, I struggled so long that now he became my identity and since then I have kept my name only. ”
Lal Bihari says that everything he had in this fight was sold out. Not only this, after the documents proved him alive, he also returned the land to the same cousins who had made Lal Bihari dead for that land.
Lal Bihari says that this problem was not just of him, but there are thousands of people in that area who have been declared dead in government documents by their relatives for the purpose of grabbing land. 64-year-old Lal Bihari is now fighting the battle of the same people.
For this, he formed the deceased association in the year 1980 and has also given justice to hundreds of other people along with him.
Filmmaker Satish Kaushik decided to make a film on him after reading the story of Lalbihari deceased in newspapers. Recently, when Satish Kaushik came to Lucknow, in a conversation with the media, he said that he had decided to make the film only in the year 2003, but it has now been implemented.
