Uttar Pradesh: Man seeks Bharat Ratna for himself

On October 10, Vinod Kumar Gaur penned a letter to the divisional commissioner, expressing a conviction that a personal intuition hinted at receiving the nation's highest civilian honor.

Gorakhpur: In a seemingly bizarre incident, a 39-year-old resident of Gorakhpur had asked the local administration to forward his name for the Bharat Ratna.

Vinod Kumar Gaur wrote a letter to the divisional commissioner on October 10 saying that an inner voice told him that he would get the country’s highest civilian honour.

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Gaur claims himself to be an allrounder in his letter. Surprisingly, his letter was not trashed immediately.

The commissioner forwarded it to the district magistrate who subsequently sent it to his subordinates.

The letter shows noting from all administrative officials — from district to tehsil level.

Finally, based on a report sent by the lekhpal of his Mahraji village, Gorakhpur district magistrate Krishna Karunesh rejected his claim, saying that he was ‘not eligible’ for the award.

“A letter sent to district administration from anyone in the public has to be heard, scrutinised and acted upon. Vinod sought Bharat Ratna, therefore after due diligence we found that he has not done anything in his life that could make him eligible for the country’s highest civilian honour. Therefore, we have rejected his plea,” the district magistrate said.

Sandip Kushwaha, the lekhpal of Mahraji, said: “We often receive such bizarre letters, Vinod Kumar Gaur is not new. Few days back there was a letter seeking ethunasia for no reason.

“Following field visit, I found that Vinod is not mentally stable, otherwise why would any sane person waste time of district administration by sending frivolous demand letter.”

A resident of Mahraji village, Gaur works as a mechanic in Gorakhpur town area.

After his employer’s death, he shifted along with wife and two sons to a rented accommodation in Kabadi Wali Gali of Civil Line area in Gorakhpur and now he now drives an e-rickshaw for a living.

He claims himself to be an all-rounder but could not clear class 10 board examination.

“I am an allrounder. I am a mechanic, driver, farmer, philosopher, political analyst and saint. On September 30, while meditating, my inner voice which I firmly believe was of the almighty, told me I should be a Bharat Ratna.

“Therefore, in the month of October, I wrote to the Gorakhpur commissioner, asking him to initiate the process of honouring me with Bharat Ratna award,” he told reporters.

The rejection by the administration has not disillusioned him.

“If the almighty wants me to have Bharat Ratna, I will get it,” he said.