Siwan: The ancestral residence of the first President of independent India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, located at Jiradei in Siwan district of Bihar, is not just a historical building but is also a living testimony of many untold stories of the Indian freedom struggle. A simple looking stool kept in the verandah of this house still holds within itself an extraordinary story of history. This is the post on which the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi had made the strategy for the independence of the country.
This post is witness to the plans of the freedom movement
It is recorded in the pages of history that Mahatma Gandhi had reached Jiradei on 16 January 1927 as part of the Champaran Satyagraha. During this time he stayed here for about three days. During his stay at Jiradei, Gandhiji had also observed a fast of silence for 24 hours sitting at this post. Many important ideas and plans related to the freedom movement were made sitting at this post. Even after almost 98 years of independence, this post exists at the same place, in the same form.
Symbol of political consciousness of that era
Regarding the historical importance of the post, Local 18 correspondent had a special conversation with historian and Krishna Singh, who is researching the biography of Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Krishna Singh says that a white sheet has been spread over the post and there is a stone slab nearby, which informs the visitors that the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi was sitting at this very place. This post is not only a witness to Gandhiji’s presence, but is also a symbol of the political consciousness of that period.
This post is still standing safe
According to Krishna Singh, this post has been constructed from original teak (Sakuva) wood. Dr. Rajendra Prasad’s grandfather was Diwan in Hathua Raj and this post was constructed at the same time. The specialty of teak wood is that it can remain safe for hundreds of years even without much care. This is the reason that despite all the neglect, this post is still standing safe.
The post is not maintained regularly
However, Krishna Singh also regrets that even though the ancestral house of Dr. Rajendra Prasad is under the Archeology Department, the kind of conservation and development that should have happened has not been done till now. The post is neither maintained regularly nor is there any concrete arrangement for painting or scientific conservation. The district administration also seems to be avoiding responsibility by citing the Archeology Department.
Nitish Kumar also left the sofa and sat on this stool.
Sharing an interesting incident related to history, Krishna Singh says that when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar came to Jiradei, sofas were arranged for him and he also sat on them. But as soon as he got the information that the stool placed nearby was not an ordinary object, but was the same historical stool on which Mahatma Gandhi had sat, he immediately got up and sat on the same stool. This incident itself underlines the historical importance of the post.
Center of attraction for history lovers
Today this post is a center of attraction for tourists and history lovers coming from India and abroad. Seeing this, people feel that period of freedom struggle. But if the government and administration do not take concrete steps for its conservation in time, then this priceless heritage may be destroyed in the future. This post of Jiradei is not just a furniture made of teak wood, but is a living heritage of freedom struggle, sacrifice and ideas. Preserving it is not only the responsibility of the administration but also the historical responsibility of the entire society.
