Legacy of first Prez being forgotten: followers

New Delhi, Sep 6 (PTI) Even as the country marks the
125th birth anniversary of Dr Rajendra Prasad, first President
of free India, his followers believe that the nation has
forgotten his contribution to the freedom struggle.

At a quiz competition for schoolchildren in Patna,
Prasad's grand-daughter Tara Sinha said she was sorry to
notice that students failed to identify India's first
President, who was also conferred with Bharat Ratna, when
shown his photograph.

Sinha, who has written a book detailing the multiple
facets of Prasad's personality, however believes it is the
fault of her generation which has failed to make children
aware of Prasad's achievements.

"I don't think the year is being commemorated the way it
should be. There is no exhibition to showcase his
contribution, no stamp as a symbolic gesture and no national
holiday," Sinha, who was in Delhi recently to release her
book, told PTI.

"How many people know that as President of India he never
drew his full salary and at the time of his retirement he was
drawing only Rs 1,900 (when the prescribed salary was Rs
10,000)?" she asked.

The book titled 'Deshratna Rajendra Prasad -- Bahuayami
Vyaktitva,' is a compilation of 10 articles on Prasad written
by Sinha over a period of time.

Sinha, a professor of English in Patna, who spent a major
period of her teenage with Prasad at the Rashtrapati Bhavan,
said: "In writing this book, I drew heavily from my own
memories and that of my close relatives, besides the
autobiography of my grandfather."

The book touches both personal and historical aspects of
the life of Prasad, who was President from 1950-62.

"We need people to write about him to remind Indians who
have forgotten his contributions," said Bimal Prasad, Director
of the Rajendra Prasad Academy, which is also planning an
international seminar on Prasad in November this year.

Prasad was a highly successful lawyer in Patna, when he
left his career to take part in the non-cooperation movement
in 1920. "When he retired in 1962, he did not have a permanent
residence or a car. He returned to his ashram in Patna and
whatever memorabilia he had, he gave it to the Patna museum,
who did not preserve it the way it should have," Sinha said.

He retired at the time of Chinese aggression in 1962, and
he went about appealing to people to donate for the country.
In her book, Sinha has highlighted certain unknown but
fascinating instances of Prasad's life.
"After he appeared for one of his examinations, the
checked answer sheet he received carried the remark the
'examinee is better than the examiner'," she said, adding that
there are many such interesting facts about him which might
interest the young generation. PTI WAJ
SDE