It is an insight into the first family of Bihar politics and into an intriguing partnership-cum-regime that lasted for 15 and more years.
Tit-bits from the lives of Rabri Devi and Lalu Prasad are now available in the recently published Rabri Devi: Lalu’s Masterstroke, authored by Patna journalist Manoj Chaurasia. The 274-page book is all of 14 chapters and has been published by Vitasta Publishing Private Limited, New Delhi.
The book traces Rabri Devi’s life and political journey that began from July 27, 1997, when she assumed the chief minister’s post.
From her initial thumb signature days to her struggle, trying to read and write with district magistrate Rajbala Verma, Chaurasia offers interesting insights into the life of the homemaker-turned-CM to her present leader-of-the-Opposition avatar.
Though it’s known that Rabri Devi became the chief minister after Lalu Prasad was jailed for the fodder scam — not many people know that Lalu’s left strict instructions to his wife: One of them was to make officers and officials read every file out aloud.
The book, in its chapter “Dumb Doll’s Baptism into the Big Battle” states — “An inexperienced Rabri, totally divorced from active politics, handled even those smart-looking and sorry-saying babus quite deftly, despite being nearly illiterate.”
“I would order them (officials) to let me know the positive and negative aspects of each proposal. It was difficult to fool me, as the officer would also be dragged into the matter as they had to put their signatures in the files,” she admits.
And changes were mutual. Lalu Prasad, who cherished his wife’s role in the household and savoured her preparations such as kadi-badi, baigan bharta and mango, lemon and jack-fruit pickles, donned the hat of the homemaker — and as Chaurasia stresses, effortlessly, too.
Lalu would take care of the kitchen with his “Mohanbagan” team (nine children plus the couple) and would take rounds of the kitchen garden. When a journalist had once asked Lalu if he was a personal assistant for his wife, he admitted: “Every husband is his wife’s PA.”
“The day we formed the party, we thought of Rabri Janata Dal initially,” admits the woman in one of the chapters.
There are insights into Rabri’s comfortable childhood to her marriage to Lalu Prasad, who was a small fry. “Everyone kept asking my father why he was handing over his daughter to a bhikmanga (beggar).” Her family had gifted Lalu five bighas to make a “good start”.
The syrupy names (Rabri Rasagulla, Jalebia and Panawa) of the four sisters have a history too — they were named after items that their mother asked for right after giving birth. While most now knows that eldest Misa was named after the Act, daughter Dhanu was named so because the family’s 17 cows delivered calves around the same time when Rabri gave birth to her. Daughter Rajlaxmi was named suitably after Lalu became the chief minister in 1990.
Chaurasia while talking to The Telegraph said: “When I was told to write on a woman and a politician, my choice was Rabri, as for me she stood for women’s empowerment even though she was literally dragged from the kitchen to the cabinet.”
Tit-bits from the lives of Rabri Devi and Lalu Prasad are now available in the recently published Rabri Devi: Lalu’s Masterstroke, authored by Patna journalist Manoj Chaurasia. The 274-page book is all of 14 chapters and has been published by Vitasta Publishing Private Limited, New Delhi.
The book traces Rabri Devi’s life and political journey that began from July 27, 1997, when she assumed the chief minister’s post.
From her initial thumb signature days to her struggle, trying to read and write with district magistrate Rajbala Verma, Chaurasia offers interesting insights into the life of the homemaker-turned-CM to her present leader-of-the-Opposition avatar.
Though it’s known that Rabri Devi became the chief minister after Lalu Prasad was jailed for the fodder scam — not many people know that Lalu’s left strict instructions to his wife: One of them was to make officers and officials read every file out aloud.
The book, in its chapter “Dumb Doll’s Baptism into the Big Battle” states — “An inexperienced Rabri, totally divorced from active politics, handled even those smart-looking and sorry-saying babus quite deftly, despite being nearly illiterate.”
“I would order them (officials) to let me know the positive and negative aspects of each proposal. It was difficult to fool me, as the officer would also be dragged into the matter as they had to put their signatures in the files,” she admits.
And changes were mutual. Lalu Prasad, who cherished his wife’s role in the household and savoured her preparations such as kadi-badi, baigan bharta and mango, lemon and jack-fruit pickles, donned the hat of the homemaker — and as Chaurasia stresses, effortlessly, too.
Lalu would take care of the kitchen with his “Mohanbagan” team (nine children plus the couple) and would take rounds of the kitchen garden. When a journalist had once asked Lalu if he was a personal assistant for his wife, he admitted: “Every husband is his wife’s PA.”
“The day we formed the party, we thought of Rabri Janata Dal initially,” admits the woman in one of the chapters.
There are insights into Rabri’s comfortable childhood to her marriage to Lalu Prasad, who was a small fry. “Everyone kept asking my father why he was handing over his daughter to a bhikmanga (beggar).” Her family had gifted Lalu five bighas to make a “good start”.
The syrupy names (Rabri Rasagulla, Jalebia and Panawa) of the four sisters have a history too — they were named after items that their mother asked for right after giving birth. While most now knows that eldest Misa was named after the Act, daughter Dhanu was named so because the family’s 17 cows delivered calves around the same time when Rabri gave birth to her. Daughter Rajlaxmi was named suitably after Lalu became the chief minister in 1990.
Chaurasia while talking to The Telegraph said: “When I was told to write on a woman and a politician, my choice was Rabri, as for me she stood for women’s empowerment even though she was literally dragged from the kitchen to the cabinet.”
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