Former MLA Krishna Devi in Bokaro. Picture by Pankaj Singh

Bokaro, Feb. 19: Ninety-two-year-old Krishna Devi sacrificed her little joys of life while participating in the freedom struggle and later became the first woman MLA of united Bihar even as she went on to get elected for three consecutive terms on a Congress ticket. But today she is forced to ask herself — was it worth it?

The woman hero is now living on the mercy of social organisations to meet her medical expenses. Living on rented premises — E-496 — in Bokaro Steel Sector III with her son, she regrets not having applied for the status of Rashtriya Parivar — Family of Freedom Fighters — in her heydays along with her husband.

The couple has had many dangerous encounters during the freedom struggle. The then British Raj had announced they be shot at sight for having burnt down a police station and post office in the Hathauri Darbhanga district of Bihar. “There was an award of Rs 10,000 on our heads — a big amount at that time — and the British government had even seized our house in Kharaitola and auctioned our 20-acre plot. Fearing for our lives we escaped to Nepal from where we continued to work underground,” recounts Krishna.

But troubled times lay ahead. The couple was caught in 1943 when a family member, in return for money, revealed their hideout to the police and they were sent to Madhwapur (Nepal) jail. Later, they were transferred to Darbhanga (Bihar) jail.

“I was pregnant at the time, which literally saved my life. I gave birth to my daughter and our leaders named her Kranti. In 1945 the British government released me because of my poor health. My family doubted my reputation but accepted me because of social pressure,” Krishna said tearfully.

Though battered and bruised both physically and emotionally, Krishna’s spirit did not die. She continued her fight and on the directions of Mahtma Gandhi stayed at Vardha village with Jai Prakash Narain’s wife Prabhavati Devi, Kaka Kalelkar and Jamna Lal Bajaj.

“After Independence, on the request of Jawahar Lal Nehru I was given a Congress ticket to contest the Assembly elections in 1952 and got the privilege of being the first woman MLA,” she said.

She contested for the Assembly seat of Baheri (Old Darbhaga district) and won two more times — in 1957 and 1962.

“But look at me now. All I get is humiliation. Had I applied for the Rashtriya Parivar status then, I would have got free medical treatment at Bokaro general hospital,” said Krishna who is suffering from multiple health problems.

As an ex-MLA, Krishna should be getting travelling expenses but she can barely walk. After a long wait, she finally got a wheelchair from a social organisation, Bihar Parishad and Indian Society for Population Control.

Krishna lost her husband 20 years ago and her daughter Kranti is now comfortably settled in Delhi.

Her son Praveen Kumar Singh, who works as a clerk, feels his mother’s decision to join the freedom struggle was pointless — as it has left her with nothing besides endless suffering.

Today, Krishna feels abandoned. “Look how the government has failed me.”