Poet Dinkar’s family alleges threats from Sushil Modi’s nephew

PATNA - The family of Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, popularly known as ‘rashtra kavi’ or national poet, is running from pillar to post for justice alleging that Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi’s nephew is refusing to vacate a portion of their home and is threatening them.

Dinkar’s 80-year-old daughter-in-law Hemant Devi and grandson Arvind Kumar Singh allege that Sushil Kumar Modi’s nephew Mahesh Modi had been forcibly occupying a part of the late poet’s house, Dinkar Bhavan, on Arya Kumar Road near Machuatoli here.

“Mahesh Modi, who runs a medicine shop in Dinkar Bhavan, a house named after Dinkar, has refused to vacate the premises despite repeated requests. We have approached every one, from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to top officials, to get back the shop but failed,” Arvind Kumar Singh said.

Hemant Devi told IANS she was disappointed by Nitish Kumar’s response when she along with Arvind met him early this week. “We approached Nitish Kumar at his Janata Darbar to seek justice after apathy from local police officials but nothing has been done,” she said.

“Nitish Kumar’s claims of good governance, rule of law and development are useless for people like us who are helpless. My father-in-law was a great poet and a freedom fighter, who was a recipient of various awards. But his own state has failed to respect him.

“My husband passed away a few years after our marriage. This is the only house we have. Even that is being taken away from us by force and the chief minister is doing nothing to help us,” she said.

Arvind said Mahesh, to whom his family had leased out a shop on the premises of their house, had refused to vacate even after the lease period ended last year. Arvind also said Mahesh, who had political connections, had abused and threatened the family.

Sushil Modi, however, says that no one can threaten or harass anyone, especially Dinkar’s family, and the law will take its own course.

Opposition parties, particularly Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress and left parties have questioned Nitish Kumar’s claims of good governance sighting the allegations of Dinkar’s family.

Leader of opposition Abdul Bari Siddiqui said Modi’s relatives were trying to use their political clout to intimidate Dinkar’s grandson.

“I have written a letter to Nitish Kumar to intervene in the matter as it concerns the family of Dinkar, who was not only a towering academic personality but also a freedom fighter,” Siddiqui said.

Dinkar, a much awarded poet who was born in 1908 and passed away in 1974, was known for works like “Rasavanti”, “Dvandvageet”, “Kurukshetra”, and “Dhoop Chhah”.