Shashi, sister of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, still runs a tea-snack and prasad shop in Kothar, a small village in Uttarakhand. On the holy festival of Rakshabandhan, when she was asked about tying Rakhi to her brother, she became very emotional. He told that he does not even remember the last time he tied Rakhi on his brother's wrist with his own hands.
The journey from childhood of Ajay Singh Bisht to becoming Yogi Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is a big name in Indian politics today, but things related to his family bring out a very intimate aspect of his personal life. His childhood name was Ajay Singh Bisht. In his childhood, he lived a normal life with his siblings and during the marriage of his sister Shashi, he performed all the responsibilities of an elder brother very well.
With time, Ajay Singh Bisht chose the path of spirituality and asceticism and he came to be known as Yogi Adityanath. After this, his political journey started from Gorakhpur and he later became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, the country's largest state. Due to the busyness and responsibilities of public life, the distance from the family increased and the meetings between brothers and sisters also became less.
When was Rakhi tied for the last time, even sister doesn't remember
On the occasion of Rakshabandhan, when Shashi was asked about tying Rakhi to her brother, her eyes became moist. She told that she sends Rakhi to her brother by post every year, but she cannot remember the last time she tied Rakhi on her brother's wrist with her own hands.
Shashi said emotionally that she did not know when she would be able to tie Rakhi to 'Maharaj ji' with her own hands. She could not stop her tears while recounting old childhood memories related to her brother. Their sentimentality shows that even though distance may have come with time, the childhood affection in this sacred brother-sister relationship still remains the same.
Yogi Adityanath played the responsibility of his brother in his sister's wedding.
Shashi was married on 5 March 1991. While sharing memories related to his marriage, he said that at that time Yogi Adityanath had performed all the rituals as a brother.
According to Shashi, Yogi was involved in all the other traditions from the ritual of throwing kheel-batashes during the processions. He also told that his palanquin was also picked up by Yogi Adityanath himself. Shashi recalled that when Yogi was studying in Rishikesh, he used to come from Delhi to his village on foot, because at that time there was no concrete road till the village.
Shashi still runs a tea-snack and prasad shop on the mountain.
CM Yogi Adityanath's sister Shashi leads a simple life in Kothar village of Uttarakhand. He has a small shop selling tea, snacks, shikanji and prasad near the Parvati temple situated on the mountain, about two and a half kilometers from the village.
Shashi told that it was very difficult for the family to survive in the mountains only by farming, because many times wild animals would destroy the crops. In such a situation, in the year 2010, he built a small hut and started a tea-snack shop. During the lockdown of the Corona epidemic, he himself installed the tin roof in the shop. Gradually his shop got better. He has also kept a photo of his brother Yogi Adityanath in his shop.
CM Yogi became emotional after seeing sister's picture
When Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was shown the picture of his sister Shashi during a TV interview, he could not control himself and had tears in his eyes. He became emotional and calmed down for some time. When Shashi was asked about this, she had said that 'Maharaj ji' should not be so emotional. Shashi says that working at the shop is a part of her daily routine, because in a small village it is not possible to run the family's expenses without hard work.
Conversation takes place through phone during festivals
Yogi Adityanath's brother-in-law Puran Singh Payal had told that in the year 2019, he had met Yogi Adityanath in Rishikesh, which was for about 10 minutes. After this the process of meetings almost stopped. However, during festivals and special occasions, Shashi talks to Yogi Adityanath on phone. Many times this conversation is not possible directly but through CM Yogi's PA (Personal Assistant).
Even though Shashi has not been able to tie Rakhi on brother Yogi's wrist with her own hands on Rakshabandhan for a long time, the thread of intimacy and love between the sister who runs her small shop on the mountain and the brother who is busy serving the state is still equally strong.