Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, January 9
Bihar will organise a state function every year on January 17 in honour of Late Kaviraj Ram Lakhan Singh, father of State Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The decision to celebrate the state-sponsored event for Singh’s contributions to India’s freedom struggle, was taken in the state cabinet meeting that was chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday. The state function will be held at the place where Ram Lakhan Singh’s statue has been installed in Bakhtiyarpur, located at the outskirts of Patna where he worked as a vaidya (practitioner of ayurvedic medicine).
Besides Nitish’s father, the event will also honour Shahid Nathun Prasad Yadav, Late Shilbhadra Yagi, Mogal Singh and Dumar Prasad Singh.
Some critics have however questioned the legitimacy of this decision. Former Bihar-cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Amitabh Kumar Das has written to Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan and also sought information through RTI seeking details about Kaviraj Ram Lakhan Singh.
The 1994-batch-IPS officer has sought information from IG Prison asking in which jail Singh was detained, the year of detention and the charges.
On Sunday, Das presented a research document August Kranti written by Professor Baldev Narain and released the names of freedom fighters of Bihar. According to him, in the 400 pages book, there was no mention of Ram Lakhan Singh as freedom fighter.
Opposition RJD too has objected to the cabinet decision to honour father of CM every year as freedom fighter at State government event.
