'Years of hard work paid off': Makhanlal Sarkar's family feels 'proud' on recognition from PM Modi

Kolkata, May 9 Family members of Makhanlal Sarkar, one of the most veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in West Bengal, said on Saturday that they were "proud" and "happy" that his hard work of several years has finally paid off.

Their reaction came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took Sarkar's blessings during the swearing-in ceremony of Suvendu Adkhikari as the ninth Chief Minister of the state.

Makhanlal Sarkar's daughter Sanchita Basak said that she was proud of her father.

"When we were young, he used to be a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He did a lot for the party. Today, when the BJP government was formed, we felt that all his hard work has paid off," she told IANS.

Basak added that her father never gave into the temptation of joining any other party despite getting calls from them.

However, she said: "Even leaders from other political parties, including Trinamool Congress, CPI-M and Congress, respected my father."

She mentioned that former External Affairs Minister and veteran BJP leader late Sushma Swaraj used to write letters to her father.

"He even went to jail along with Syama Prasad Mookerjee," she added.

Makhanlal Sarkar's son Maniklal Sarkar said: "We never thought that the Prime Minister of the country will show so much respect to my father."

The proud son added that his father got associated with the 'Sangh' since 16 years of age.

Maniklal Sarkar emphasised that his father played a key role in the initiation of BJP's Darjeeling unit.

"My father also worked with Syama Prasad Mookerjee for several years. He was even arrested for singing the national anthem," he told IANS.

"He never deviated from the principles of RSS. Everyone in our neighbourhood knows that he is an honest man and has always led a simple life," the son asserted.

Giving an example of his father's honesty, Maniklal Sarkar said: "During the tenure of late Prime Minister Morarji Desai, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways had given a permit to my father to travel from Siliguri to Gangtok. He disposed that permit at a court in Siliguri, saying 'I don't take up party work for money'."

Putul Sarkar, wife of Makhanlal Sarker, said that her husband had struggled for many years.

She added: "He never spoke much about the party's work at home but he used to read books of Syama Prasad Mookerjee."

The BJP worker's daughter-in-law Minu Sarkar said everyone is proud because her father-in-law has finally got the recognition after working hard for the BJP for so many years.

"It has been 25 years of my marriage and I have seen him attending every meeting, whenever he was called, throughout all these years," she added.

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