Lal Bihari, who hails from Amilo village in Azamgarh initially made headlines when to tried to prove that he was ‘alive’ after unfortunately being declared ‘dead’ in govt records. Reports suggest he was officially declared dead in 1975. He then underwent a legal battle to regain his identity.
The battle was long one, however, as he was declared alive on June 30, 1994. Interestingly, that was when he included ‘Mritak’ (meaning deceased) to his name.
“I was reborn in government records 27 years ago. The marriage ceremony will be held in 2022, when I will turn 28 after my rebirth in government records,” he said, reports Gulf News.
The man has 3 kids- 2 daughters and a son. He confesses that he’s 66-years-old in reality and wishes to remarry his 56-year-old wife Karmi Devi. Since it’s now 27 years since he was reborn in government records, he hopes his wedding will shed light on the plight of those who are in a similar situation of being called the ‘living dead’.
Speaking of his mission he said, “Though I fought and won my case, not much has actually changed in the system. I remained ‘dead’ in government records for 18 years. There are still people who have been declared dead and their land has been usurped by relatives in connivance with government officials. I have been helping such victims in the past decades but the campaign must continue,” he explained.
This isn’t the first time his story has gained media attention. Earlier, filmmaker Satish Kaushik has made a film on his life known as ‘Kaagaz’. The ever-talented Pankaj Tripathi had essayed Mritak’s role in the film.