Ram Charitra Rai Yadav

Ram Charitra Rai Yadav, alias Ram Chalitra Yadav was an Indian politician, freedom fighter, and social worker, known as the Gandhi of Sitamarhi. He was a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, representing the Sursand in Sitamarhi district, Bihar. He was the first MLA from the Sursand Assembly constituency. He served this position from 1952 to 1957 as an independent, after India’s first general election (1951–52), and again from 1969 to 1980.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]}

He was a veteran socialist leader and one of the prominent figures in Bihar politics during his era. On August 11, 1998, he became a martyr during a firing incident at the Sitamarhi Collectorate while protesting for the rights of the poor and demanding adequate relief for flood-affected people in Sitamarhi and other parts of North Bihar.

After his martyrdom, the politics of Bihar became very heated. According to the book Saptkranti's Samvad Jannayak Karpoori Thakur Smriti Granth, It is mentioned that "It is written in the dictionary, India that is Bharat. A handful of people in the country live in India, and the masses live in Bharat. He spoke on this in detail and said a very deep thing that our country has become independent, but we have not gained real freedom because the country is facing economic, social, and political problems. Social and cultural freedom has not been achieved. I fully realized this deep thing when, in 1998, there was police firing on the meeting being held after the demonstration at Sitamarhi Collectorate gate, in which former MLA Ram Charitra Rai, along with Dr. Ayub, Mahant Mandal, were present. Rampari Devi and Munif Nadaf died". ^[10]

Several prominent leaders, including the then Railway Minister Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav, and other notable leaders from Bihar and across India, condemned the incident and expressed their condolences. They also visited his house for his funeral. ^{[11] [12] [13] [14]}

Yadav was elected in 1952 as an Independent and thrice ticket of Indian National Congress from Sursand constituency.

A statue has been made at Radhaur More, NH104, Sursand, Sitamarhi, Bihar, in memory of him and his struggle.