Batak Mian | |
---|---|
Born | 1880 |
Died | 1957 |
Nationality | Indian |
Occupation | Cook or chef |
Known for | Refusing to poison Mahatma Gandhi during Champaran Satyagraha |
Honors | Publicly honored by President Rajendra Prasad in 1950 [1] |
Batak Mian, was a cook who saved the life of Mahatma Gandhi from a murder attempt by food poisoning [2] in 1917. He was an employee of an indigo plant at Motihari, Bihar. Afterwards, he was ousted from his job, tortured, and compelled to leave the village.
Gandhi was invited to dinner by a British officer in Champaran during the Champaran Satyagraha. Asked by the officer to serve Gandhi a glass of poisoned milk, Mian ensured that Gandhi did not drink the milk by revealing the plot to Rajendra Prasad. [3] [4] [5] As a consequence, Mian was tortured by the British officer, lost his house and property, and was driven out of his village. [6]
Rajendra Prasad visited Motihari in 1950, as President of India. [2] [ citation needed ] A crowd formed around him and he recognized Batak Mian from the crowd, and described the 1917 incident to the public.[ citation needed ] [2] Prasad ordered a grant of 24 acres of land to Mian as an appreciation from the nation. Mian died in 1957.[ citation needed ] [2]