Gorelal Manishi (Hindi: गोरे लाल मनीषी) (1 January 1944 – 30 September 2012) was an Indian social activist, Angika language writer, former Bihar Government Engineering Services Officer and former president of Bihar Engineering Services Association. He was also the board member of Kosi Bund Erosion Judicial Enquiry Commission as constituted by the Govt. of Bihar. He was a civil engineering graduate and also he had earned bachelor's degree in Law (LLB) while he was in engineering services.

Gorelal Manishi
Born1 January 1944
Khanpur (Mal), Bhagalpur, Bihar, India
Died30 September 2012 (2012-10-01) (aged 68)

Early years

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Gorelal Manishi was born to a medium class farmer family to Narayan Singh and Mundri Devi in a small village Khanpur (Mal), Bhagalpur, Bihar, India. The ancestors of Manishi emigrated from Nearer village Bhikhanpur to Khanpur (Mal). Manishi lost his father at very early age to be taken care of his childhood and later period of his life by his mother. His mother Mundri Devi was not formally literate but was very well skilled in agricultural and farming management. His mother helped him throughout in moulding his career. He enrolled for primary school in Inglish Khanpur and attended high school in Karahraiya village. He earned his early college degree from TNB, Bhagalpur and later studied civil engineering at Bhagalpur College of Engineering, Bhagalpur.[1]

Engineering career

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Upon graduation, Manishi took up jobs at various posts at the Water Resource Department of govt of Bihar for 29 years. Thereafter he had taken retirement from the govt services voluntarily to concentrate and devote more time to anti-corruption activities. He was known for his honesty, sincerity, time management and dedication. The North Koel River Valley Project, Palamu, Jharkhand, Western Koshi canal Project, Kunauli, Bihar, Subernrekha River Multipurpose Project, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand were among those important projects where he worked during his tenure.[2]

Social services career

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Manishi actively worked in spreading and generating awareness among people for issues of corruptions and right to information act. He also spread scientific knowledge and a scientific world vision amongst the people. He also worked to spread awareness on topics of Indian national interest. He was active members of various social organisation, important among them were, Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti, Lok Adhikar Sangathan,[3] Azadi Bachao Andolan, Right to Information Campaign.[4][5][6][7][8] [9][10]

Anti-corruption movement/campaign

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As an engineer, Manishi was troubled by the rampant corruption in government departments at almost all the levels. In 2004, he had quit by offering voluntarily retirement from work to focus on RTI campaign. People recognize him for activating the RTI movement at the grassroots, and empowering Bihar's poor citizens to fight corruption. Along with other social activists like Aruna Roy, Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and others Manishi came to be recognised as an important contributor to the campaign for a state and national-level Right to Information Act (enacted in 2005).[11][12]

Awards and recognition

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Gore Lal Manishi at Auroville, Puducherry, India in 2009

Gore lal Manishi was appointed as a board member of Kosi Bund Erosion Judicial Enquiry Commission as constituted by the Govt. of Bihar.[13] He was feted with Life Member of Indian Geotechnical Society, New Delhi, Life Member of Institution of Engineers, Kolkata, Members of Indian Road Congress and various other statutory engineering bodies. He was president of the Bihar Engineering Service Association.

After his death, he was awarded with the highest honour of Bihar Engineering Service Association, the Abhiyanta Ratna, in September 2014.[14]

Manishi died of prostate cancer on 30 September 2012 in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.[15][16]

References

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  1. ^ News related to demise of Manishi containing his profile
  2. ^ News related to demise of Manishi containing his profile
  3. ^ Judgement of High Court of Patna, Lok Adhikar Sangathan Vs. Union of India the-laws.com/Encyclopedia
  4. ^ News related to demise of Manishi containing his profile
  5. ^ RTI activists seek removal of Bihar CIC bihartimes.in - News website - Bihar
  6. ^ "Save RTI Campaign - Koshish - Updates from Bihar". Archived from the original on 14 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015. RTI Website
  7. ^ A Nation wide Quit India Campaign against Coke and Pepsi
  8. ^ Flood water receding but Govt, Administration facing public outburst Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine www.newzfirst.com- A news website।
  9. ^ North Bihar Rivers Neeti Samvad Forum for the policy dialogue on the river basin management in North Bihar - North Bihar Rivers Neeti Samvad - Draft Document
  10. ^ Patna High Court - Orders Patna High Court - Orders।
  11. ^ RTI activists seek removal of Bihar CIC bihartimes.in - News website - Bihar
  12. ^ "Save RTI Campaign - Koshish - Updates from Bihar". Archived from the original on 14 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015. RTI website
  13. ^ Document related to Kosi Bund Erosion Judicial Enquiry Commission as constituted by the Govt. of Bihar Archived 14 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine kosi-aayog.bih.nic.in - A website of Bihar Govt.
  14. ^ e-Paper Hindustan Patna edition dated 1-10-2014, News related to honour of the Abhiyanta Ratna given to Manishi, on 30-9-2014 September 2014
  15. ^ News related to demise of Manishi
  16. ^ [1] Archived 19 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine Rashtriya Sahara, e-Paper, Patna Edition