Former Chief Minister Arjun Munda has said that BJP veteran late Kailashpati Mishra had a rare organisational capacity and virtually lived for his ideals and values throughout his life.
Meanwhile, Advani will release book on Kailashpati Mishra on Saturday at Maithon Marriage hall, Bariatu. “I met him for the first time at the residence of then MP Shailendra Mahto. Again I met him in 1999 at the Bihar BJP headquarters. Though I had heard a lot about him, but the two meetings left a long lasting impact on me,” Munda recalls.
“He was truly described as ‘Bhishmapitamah’ in Bihar-Jharkhand. I always learnt from him whenever we sat together as he used to recall a lot or organisational stories. I can just imagine the struggle and pains he had suffered to visit each and every village of Jharkhand, then a part of the erstwhile Bihar, to create the organisational structure.”
“When he was undergoing treatment at Delhi’s Ram Manohar lohia Hospital, I requested him to stay in Ranchi. I knew it very well that he was fond of Ranchi’s climate. So, he accepted my request. I still remember how he had a tab on social and political developments and religiously used to discuss with the party workers,” the former Chief Minister says.
“He had a special affection for my better half Meera Munda and when we invited him at our residence he used to discuss right from politics to kitchen for hours.” Mishra, who was supposed to be a bridge between Bihar and Jharkhand BJP leaders before the bifurcation, died on November 3, 2012. He was like a guardian and contributed to solve the issues, whether organisational or related to Government, which cropped up after the State’s creation.
He had served as Governor of Gujarat from May 7, 2003 to July 7, 2004 and for a brief period of Rajasthan too during the same duration, was born at Dudharchak in Buxara district in 1923. Munda’s rival Babulal Marandi, who quit the BJP in 2006, says that Kailasjhi lived and died for the party. “I found him a man totally dedicated to the party. There were several issues on which he did not agree. But once the party leadership decided he had no ill-will against any one and used to get on his job to execute the decision,” he recalls. Marandi is now heading Jharkhand Vikas Morcha.
“For example, Kailashji was not in favour of holding detailed consultation with the MlAs when the question of appointing the first Chief Minister of Jharkhand arose in 2000. We approached Advaniji who readily accepted our plea and paved the way for wider consultation with the MlAs. When I was chosen the Chief Minister, I got full support and love from Kailashji. We need such a leader in every party.”
BJP vice president Deepak Prakash remembers how Kailashji used to find solution out of the problems. “During late 80s, the BJP had witnessed bitter rivalry between two groups-one led by late Naini Gopal Mitra and the other by Gulshanlal Azmani. I was then a member of Vidyarthi Parishad and had a scooter. Kailashji one day called me and reached Mitra’s house. I found to my surprise, he did not talk politics during the meeting. And later on both the groups came on a single platform.”
BJP State campaign committee member Pawan Bajaj says that he always took decisions keeping in view the ideals of the party. “He was disciplinarian but for him, all the cadres were equal and met with them with love.”