‘Bihar Kesari’ Dr. Sri Krishna Sinha was born on 21st October, 1887 in his maternal grandfather’s house,
Khanwa in Nawada District , Bihar. His paternal village is Maur, near Barbigha in the then Munger District that is now part of Sheikhpura District. He got his early education in his village school, and later in Zila School, Munger. In 1906 he joined Patna College, which was then an affiliate of the University of Calcutta, where he gradually emerged as promising student leader. He studied law and started practicing in Munger from 1915. In the meantime, he married and had two sons, Shivshankar Singh and Bandishankar Singh (more commonly known as Swaraj Babu) who later held various posts in the state government . At Munger, he avowed to work relentlessly to free India from the English. He left practising law in 1921 to take active part in Mahtma Gandhi’s non co-operation movement . As the echoes of his voice spread around Bihar, people began calling him ‘Bihar Kesari’. Sri Krishna Babu first went to Jail in 1922. He underwent different terms of imprisonment for a total of about eight years. In 1930, Sri Babu played an important role in ‘Namak Satyagrah’ at Garhppura. During arrest he suffered severe scalding injuries to his hands and chest. Under the Act of 1935, Sri Babu formed his Cabinet Patna on 20th July, 1937. He disagreed with the Governor on the issue of the realease of political prisoners and resigned. The Governor had to give in finally and Sri Krishna Babu resumed his office. But he again resigned in 1939 over the question of involving India in the Second World War without the consent of the Indian people. Impressed by this courage of Dr. Sinha, Mahatma Gandhi in 1940 awarded him the distinctive of being called ‘ the first Satyagrahi of Bihar. As the Chief Minister, Dr. Sri Krishna Sinha served Bihar continuously from 1946 to 1961. He was always interested in self study and his ideas and speeches were noted for their wisdom. He was a staunch opponent of castes ism and always rose in defence of the oppressed, the backward and the Harijans. He was also considered as among “Architects of Modern Bihar”. He passed away on 31st January, 1961.
