Ostracised for life, ‘Nehru’s tribal wife’ passes away

Calls have been made for a monument to be erected in honor of Budhni Manjhi, a Santhali woman who was ostracized by her tribe after being garlanded by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1959. Budhni's life was filled with hardships, including being denied entry into her hamlet and being retrenched from her job. The community now looks for a memorial for her next to Nehru's statue and a pension for her daughter so that she can survive.