Bhojpuri Personalities & People

Bhojpuri region is the land of Ram and his Ramayan. It is also land of Vishnu avatar Bhagwan Mahatma Buddha and Bhagawan Mahaveer, who were born in this region much before the evolution of Hindi/Bhojpuri and spread the messages of Peace, Non violence and Love to the mankind of whole world and laid the foundation of two world religions Jainism and Buddhism, both offshoot of Hinduism. 

Later Shershah Suri from this region (also known as Sher khan from Ara) challenged the might of Moghuls in Buxur Battle, and became the Emperor of India. He is considered the greatest Administrator of all the emperor of India and laid the foundation of unification of whole India, which were later achieved by British rulers, by constructing the Grand Trunk Road from Calcutta to Lahore.(now NH-2 & 1) and other infrastructures. He also led the foundation of the modern city of Patna, the capital of Bihar at the site of ancient Patliputra, the first capital city of India.

The pioneer of first freedom struggle of India, Mangal Pandey belonged to this region, an ordinary sepoy in British Army, challenged the might of British ruler. Mangal Pandey ignited the spark of revolt which engulfed the whole of north India. Later Veer Kunwar Singh from Ara joined this struggle and taught a good lesson to the ruler. An eighty year old man, Veer Kunwar Singh remained invincible and could not be captured by British. While crossing the Ganges, he was shot in his left hand. As the saying goes, he cut his arm and offered it to the River Ganga. Such was the his valour and Courage.

Dr Rajendra Prasad from Chapra, the first President of India was a genius and never studied a book twice. He used to memorise whatever he read. He broke all the records of all the school and colleges wherever he studied. Be it Zila School  Chapra or Presidency College Calcutta. He is the only student in the history who has got this remark, ''Examinee is better than Examiner". He was a great Gandhian and worked for the social cause.

The Bhojpuri people are descendent of these great people. 

Bhojpuri people have excelled in all walks of life in India as well as in their adopted home. See following list of  eminent people of this area.

Indians of the Century by Times of India

Jaya Prakash Narayan
Jaya Prakash was born in a respectable middle-class Bihari kayasta family. His childhood was unspectacular, but while studying in the United States he came into contact with radical socialist thinking. On his return to India he found himself drawn to Gandhi and his charismatic disciple Jawaharlal Nehru. Jaya Prakash took inspiration from them and plunged into the freedom movement.

Laloo Prasad Yadav * 
Laloo Prasad Yadav is a symbol: of both the subversion and the impotence of the system, of the fact that however low politicians sink, there will always be someone who will sink lower in a bid to hold on to power.

Yet when he began, Laloo Yadav had some ideals and was seen as the quintessential grassroots man. He seemed to want to end corruption and make public servants accountable. There were raids upon police stations, hospitals, the electric supply and public departments. He punished, passed edicts, ate with the villagers and looked after his cows.

He has a thorough grasp of political gamesmanship. In making his wife Rabri Devi chief minister when pushed off the brink, he can claim a difference of degree more than an absence of precedent; he could point to the Nehru-Gandhis, the NTRs, the MGRs; also the Bandarnaikes and the Bhuttos as examples of typical rule in the region.

*  May not be liked by many. But Laloo featured in the top 50 Times Century men of India. This profile  is taken from there.

Notable Achievement

Moti, BA : Recipient of First Bhojpuri Samman By Sahitya Academy, New Delhi