George Orwell remains one of the most respected writers of the past century and it is only a pity his birthplace in the Indian Motihari is falling apart. Not for long though, as the house he spent the first year of his life in is to be preserved in order to pay tribute to his famous resident.
George Orwell is one of the greatest literary figures of the past century whose work has been an inspiration for many writers. Animal Farm and 1984, among many other of his novels, remain on school reading lists around the world. While he spent most of his life in England, his birthplace lies in the Indian Motihari.
Sadly, the house where Orwell spent the first year of his life has been severely neglected by the authorities and appears to be a dilapidated colonial bungalow now. The building was also badly damaged by an earthquake which hit the area in mid-1930s. Luckily, local art and culture society have decided to interfere and negotiated with local authorities to reconstruct the house.
Future plans also include a museum commemorating Orwell, born Eric Arthur Blair in 1903. His father worked here in Motihari in a local opium factory. After one year in Motihari, Orwell’s mother decided to take her son back to England. He never saw his birthplace again; however, he loved India and openly praised it. As many locals believe, thanks to Orwell, Motihari has something to be proud of and Orwell deserves his tribute.
In 2003, a similar initiative was brought up which featured similar plans, though evidently, bureaucratic hindrances put a stop to it. Hopefully, this time no such complication will occur and Orwell’s birthplace will become a respectable tribute to his literary talent and will attract many of his fans to Motihari.
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