Budhni Manjhiyain (1943-2023) was an Indian tribal woman. She was known as the tribal wife of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. In 2023, she died of old age.
Wiki/Biography
Budhni Manjhiyain (also spelled Budhini) was born in Jharkhand in 1943 (aged 80; died).
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′4″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye color: black
family and caste
Budni was born into a family belonging to the Santhal tribe of Jharkhand.
Parents and siblings
There is not much information about her parents and siblings.
husband and children
Budni is married to Sudhir Dutta. He is a contract worker. The couple has a daughter named Ratna Dutta.
Profession
Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC)
Budhni Manjhiyain found a job in a Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) project in Jharkhand. The DVC project is India’s first multi-purpose project focusing on construction of dams, thermal power plants and hydroelectric power plants. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru described it as “the noble residence of free India”. In 1959, when Budney was 15, she was selected by the DVC to greet then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who insisted that women should attend the inauguration. Prime Minister Nehru visited Dhanbad on December 6, 1959 to inaugurate the dam on the river. In this incident, Budhni became the center of controversy and she was expelled from the village. In 1962, the DVC fired her without giving any reason and she was forced to become a daily wage laborer in Purulia, West Bengal. In 1985, Budni’s story caught the attention of Nehru’s grandson Rajiv Gandhi, who helped her return to work at the DVC. Her grandson Baapi Dutta said in an interview,
The center received a lot of criticism for the way it treated my grandmother. During a visit to West Bengal, a local MLA narrated her ordeal to the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. This later led to her getting a job as a contract worker at DVC around 1985-86.
She continued to work at DVC until her retirement in 2005. After she retired, she insisted that her grandson work at DVC, where he currently works.
dispute
“Marriage” to Jawaharlal Nehru
On December 6, 1959, Prime Minister Nehru visited Budney’s hometown of Dhanbad to attend the inauguration ceremony of the dam. Budney, then 15 years old, was chosen to meet Nehru. During the inauguration, she placed a tilaka (a red mark worn by Hindus on the forehead) and a garland on Nehru, surprising Nehru by also placing a garland around her neck. He also asked her to push the button on the power station to start the operation of the dam.
Budhni Manjhiyain, 15, inaugurated the Dhanbad Dam with then Prime Minister Nehru
When Budni returned to the village after her inauguration, the village chief told her that she had to leave the village because she had married someone outside her tribe. Budni is a member of the Santal tribe. According to the custom of the Santal tribe, two people who wear garlands on each other are officially married. The Santhal tribe strictly prohibits intermarriage outside the tribe and expels those who violate customs. Although she tried to reason with the villagers and stay, she was ostracized and received multiple death threats. She was forced to leave her hometown and live in Panchet, Jharkhand, with the help of a man named Sudhir Dutta.
die
Budhni Manjhiyain passed away on November 17, 2023 at the age of 80 due to “complications of old age”. She died with her daughter at their home (a small house) in the town of Panchette in the Indian state of Jharkhand after a long illness. Speaking about her death, her grandson Baapi Dutta said:
What happened to my grandmother was so wrong, but I have let it go… In her final moments, she did not complain and died peacefully. ”
Budni’s body was kept in Dhanbad and many paid tribute to her.
Facts/Trivia
- Budni said she longed to return to her village in the Manbhum region (now Jharkhand), but was never able to do so.
Budhni Manhiyain gets emotional during interview
- In 2001, Budney was labeled “Nehru’s tribal wife” due to news reports. Jawaharlal Nehru, who played a major role in her expulsion from the village, was completely unaware of the controversy.
- In 2012, The Hindu incorrectly reported that Budney had died in 2011 at the age of 60.
- In 2021, author Sarah Joseph published the book Budhini, which was inspired by the life of Budhni Manjhiyain. Sarah conducted several years of research into Budney’s life before writing the book.
Budhni Manjhiyain (left) poses with author Sarah Joseph, who wrote a book inspired by Budhni’s life
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education