‘Living dead’ appeals to people: Honour corona warriors

Varanasi: Lal Bihari ‘Mritak’, a ‘living dead’ in Azamgarh district, on his 65th birthday on Wednesday, made an appeal to the people to stay safe and indoors during the coronavirus lockdown.
‘Living dead’ is an epithet used for people who are alive but have been declared dead in revenue records.
Bihari had also been declared dead in revenue records but he fought with the bureaucracy for 18 long years and he was finally declared alive on June 30, 1994. He also formed a Mritak Sangh (association of dead men) to help those who are struggling with the same issue.
“Many migrant workers are still stranded in different cities due to the lockdown. I hope they are able to return to their homes as soon as possible. It is my earnest appeal to everyone to stay safe and honour doctors, paramedics, police personnel and others who are at the forefront in the battle against the deadly pandemic,” he said.
He said that ‘Mritak Punarjanm Diwas’ (rebirth of dead) is celebrated on June 30 and ‘Mritak Diwas’ (death anniversary) on July 30 every year. He was declared alive on revenue record on June 30, 1994, following a long battle after he had been declared dead on July 30, 1976.
A native of Amilo village, Lal Bihari learnt that he was dead after he visited the revenue office at Azamgarh district headquarters to get a proof of identity for bank loan. His uncle had allegedly bribed the official to declared him dead in revenue record to usurp his property.
In order to help other people dead in revenue records, he formed Mritak Sangh to fight battle to ‘come alive’ in revenue records and also get their properties back. The organization worked to make government as well as the society understand the miseries of living dead, who despite being bonafide citizen of the country, are deprived of ancestral property.
“There are scores of people who are dead in revenue records. We are trying to get justice to them,” he said. The organization also fielded its candidates in parliamentary elections, just to draw people’s attention. Lal Bihari was also awarded the Ig Nobel Peace Award in 2003.