Friends, colleagues and common people fondly remembered Manorama Sharma Dobriyal as an honest, hard working and a social person. Many people from her ancestral village Gahad in lansdowne block of Pauri Garhwal district attended the funeral. One of her cousins, Dinesh Chandra Dobriyal told this correspondent that Sharma was a pride for the village and the entire village is shocked at her death.
He said that she always discharged all her responsibilities as the head of family. large number of statehood activists visited the house and later attended her funeral. Their presence was a testimony to her contribution in the statehood struggle.
One such activist Ram lal Khanduri remembered her fierce approach for a separate State. He informed that once she sat on a dharna, to demand a separate State at a place where the then Prime Minister Narshima Rao was slated to visit.
“The PMs visit was eventually cancelled and she did it despite being a Congress party member” recalled Khanduri. A resident of Ajabpur, Om Prakash Sati, said that she was very social and made it a point to be part of every occasion in her neighbourhood. He said that she was always ready to lend her support in every social cause. A sobbing Neelam Nanda told of her long association with the departed leader.She said that Sharma helped in her operation and stood solidly by her when her (Nanda’s) husband expired. A Congress worker Savitri Bharti said that Sharma always fought for cause of women, their rights and people of State would be deprived of her services now.
Bharti said that Sharma was very simple in her approach and lifestyle. She added that the women Congress workers of the State have lost their mentor in the demise of Sharma. The popularity of Sharma was witnessed in her funeral procession when people shouted slogans highlighting her political and social achievements.