Granddaughter of first Prez dies at Bhagalpur

BHAGALPUR: The residents of Bhagalpur on Wednesday condoled the death of 83-year-old Sharda Sahaya, the granddaughter of first President late Rajendra Prasad. Sharda died at her Khanjarpur residence under Barari police station area in the city on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.
Officials of Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU) vice-chancellor Prof Neelima Gupta convened a condolence meeting to pay homage to Sharda, who was born on September 6, 1938.She had her early education in Delhi and did her bachelor’s in political science from Ramjas College, University of Delhi. She was married to engineer Shyam Krishna Sahay, the son of Mukteshwar Prasad.
Prof Saroj Sinha, retired TMBU professor and sister-in-law of Sharda, said the inception of Bhagalpur University, now TMBU, was a gift to Bhagalpur by Rajendra Babu after the marriage of Sharda with Bhagalpur’s Shyam Krishna in 1956. TMBU subsequently came up on July 12, 1960.
Prof Raman Sinha, principal of SM College, while recalling her meetings with Sharda, said she used to wear khadi sari woven on charkha by late Rajendra Prasad.
Denizens, teaching fraternity, social activists and others visited her home to pay obeisance to the departed soul, who believed in the joint family system.