Batak Mian
Batak Mian | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1880 |
| Died | 1957 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Cook or chef |
| Known for | Refusing to poison Mahatma Gandhi during Champaran Satyagraha |
| Honors | Publicly honored by President Rajendra Prasad in 1950[1] |
Batak Mian, was a cook who saved the life of Mahatma Gandhi from a murder attempt by food poisoning[2] in 1917. He was an employee of an indigo plant at Motihari, Bihar. Afterwards, he was ousted from his job, tortured, and compelled to leave the village.
Incident
Gandhi was invited to dinner by a British officer in Champaran during the Champaran Satyagraha. Asked by the officer to serve Gandhi a glass of poisoned milk, Mian ensured that Gandhi did not drink the milk by revealing the plot to Rajendra Prasad.[3] [4][5] As a consequence, Mian was tortured by the British officer, lost his house and property, and was driven out of his village.[6]
After Independence of India
Rajendra Prasad visited Motihari in 1950, as President of India.[2] A crowd formed around him and he recognized Batak Mian from the crowd, and described the 1917 incident to the public.[2] Prasad ordered a grant of 24 acres of land to Mian as an appreciation from the nation. Mian died in 1957.[2]
References
- ^ "Unsung hero of Champaran: Batak Mian who saved Mahatma Gandhi from being poisoned". India Today. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d B Vijay Murty (22 January 2010). "Family of Mahatma's saviour in dire straits". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ "Their grandfather saved Gandhi's life". NDTV. 29 January 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ Mehta, Arun. J (20 December 2014). Lessons in Non-violent Civil Disobedience. p. 87.
- ^ "Batak Mian: Forgotten patriot who saved Bapu's life in 1917". DDNews. Doordarsan. 2 October 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ SANCHARI PAL (30 January 2018). "The Forgotten Cook Who Paid Heavily For Refusing To Poison Mahatma Gandhi". The better India. Retrieved 6 June 2020.