Nitish visiting, Bihar migrants come to show solidarity

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Sultanpur Lodhi, February 19

With the visit of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to Sultanpur Lodhi today, migrants from Bihar living in villages located by the Bein, came to offer support to the CM of their state today.

Women, dressed in bright saris, heads adorned with vibrant vermilion, said they were there to offer solidarity to the state's CM who had done a lot of work for the people living in the villages. While a majority of these families have been living in Punjab for over a decade, their menfolk are engaged in construction work to eke out a living.

Speaking to The Tribune, Munni Devi from Supaul in Bihar said, "We are very happy to meet Nitishji. While our relatives back home told us about the work he has been doing there, we never got a chance to meet him in person. We are overjoyed." Babita who came along with her son Roshan Kumar to see the Bihar CM, said, "We were just visiting a nearby gurdwara when we got to know that the Bihar CM is visiting. We hurried to met him. We never thought we would ever see him."

Speaking about the reason for her eagerness to meet the Bihar CM, Babita said, "Our relatives are there. They tell us, "Inhone ne desh mein sadak de diya, light de diya, gas diya, sharab band kar diya (he has given roads and light and has stopped liquor). He has thought for the poor, that is why he is loved so much. Look here. People are drunkards. A man won't give food to his family, but he gets his liquor. Liquor should be made illegal here as well." Renu Devi, whose husband is a daily wager, said, "We had come to know a day ago that the Bihar CM would be coming. So, we came in specially prepared. We are very happy to meet him."

Some migrants also raised slogans hailing the Bihar CM as he left Sultanpur Lodhi here this evening.