CASUAL VS DILIGENT ON ROPING IN MANJHI

DASHRATH Manjhi's new house has a visitor. A surprise political visitor. Not the one you would have expected if you knew the prequel to this story.

- SANTWANA BHATTACHARYA

But it's the sequel that can contain clues to the difference between India's two national parties. Yes, the man who moved mountains in life can move politics even in death—though not as much as he would have liked.

Who's Dashrath Manjhi? For those who somehow missed out, he's the man who cut through a mountain all on his own, with a hammer and chisel, over 22 years.

His wife had died because medical care was 70 km away by road, though just over the mountain in reality. He swore that such a fate should never befall anyone again. And kept his word. Town is now just a kilometre away from his Gehlaur village.

He was feted belatedly as the 'Mountain Man', a postage stamp was issued in his name, films were made about his life—a documentary, a Hindi movie, even a couple of Kannada films.

But the destitution had not changed. When Dashrath died, in 2007, home was still a thatched-roof hut. The lot of many among his 'Mahadalit' community of Musahars, and millions of others in Bihar.