Teacher claims house where George Orwell was born

Saturday April 02, 2011 10:42:09 AM, Imran Khan, IANS

Patna: Legendary British author George Orwell was born in this nondescript house in Bihar's Motihari town. The state government four months ago declared it a protected site, but a school teacher now claims to be its proud owner and has documents to back his claim.

Neglected for years, the house was given on lease to a school. Brajnandan Rai taught in the school and lived in one part of the building. The lease expired a few years ago, but Rai stayed on. Now he claims that the house is registered in his name.

The district administration records show Rai as the owner of the place, an official told IANS over phone from Motihari.

The Bihar government declared the site in December 2010 as protected and decided to renovate it. The government issued a notification under the Ancient Monument (Protection) Act, 1976. The house has been enlisted by the art and culture department for protection.

Rajendra Mandal, the executive officer of the Motihari city council, said it was a matter of investigation if the teacher managed to register Orwell's birthplace in his name.

"An inquiry would be made into how the title deed of the house was allotted to Rai," Mandal said.

He said a probe has been ordered into how the teacher managed to register the house in his name.

Orwell, famous for works like "the Animal Farm" and "1984", was born Eric Arthur Blair in 1903 in the single-storeyed building in Motihari near India's border with Nepal.

His father, Richard Blair, worked as an agent of the opium department of the Indian Civil Service during British rule.

The building is in ruins now, the roofline has bowed and buckled due to years of rain and a large grapefruit tree has undermined the southern wall.

Only the stone floor looks solid, though it cracked during an earthquake that almost levelled Motihari in 1934.

Mandal said the government has sanctioned a sum of Rs.29 lakh for the building's renovation. "More money is likely to be sanctioned," he said.

                                           Home | Top of the Page

Top Stories

RTE Act one year on: 8 million children still missing school

The Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act which promises free and compulsory education to all children between the age six to 14, Friday completed a year . »

 Over a lakh children in Delhi still out of school

Government against privatising education, says Sibal

  Most Read

Thousands take to streets in Syria

Thousands of people took to streets to stage anti-government protests Friday in various cities of Syria. Protests erupted following Muslims' Friday prayers in the cities of Damascus, Daraa and Banias, where thous  »

45 percent decline in militancy in Kashmir

There has been a 45 percent drop in militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in January to March compared to the corresponding period last year, state police chief Kuldeep Khoda said Friday. "We have stepped up our operations and several top terrorist commanders have been killed while the number of civilian and security casualties have  »

  News Pick

UN Yearbook released for first time as ebook

The UN's annual yearbook was released Thursday for the first time in a fully-searchable digital format as an ebook. The newest edition available is for 2007 and is available through major electronic publishers, including Kindle  »

In national interest, official can be sacked without probe: Court

The Supreme Court has held that the government need not communicate the charges against an official sacked for delinquency or hold an enquiry if doing so would jeopardise the interests  »

Sunil Joshi murder case: MP puts spanner in NIA probe

Madhya Pradesh Government has put a spanner in the efforts of Union Home Ministry to have a combined investigation of all cases related to Hindu terror groups  »

Kanpur blasts case may be transferred to NIA

The stars who should make an impact at Wankhede

Both India and Sri Lanka will be eying glory and their second World Cup crown when they clash in the final at the Wankhede Stadium here Saturday. India   »

World Cup musings - another time, another place

The making of Al-Qaeda member

This is the story of my nephew who is alleged to be a member of al-Qaeda. If that is true, I accuse the Americans of pushing him toward al-Qaeda. How? My nephew, Ala’ Abdu Raoof Tawfeeq Khader, who is carrying a Jordanian passport, left Jordan to Iraq on the 20th of Jan   »

Picture of the Day

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousuf Raza Gilani watching the Indo-Pak World Cup semi-final, at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium, in Mohali on March 30, 2011. Also seen are UPA Chairperson Mrs Sonia Gandhi and Lok Sabha Speaker Mrs Meira Kumar.