From a non-descript bylane, it has turned into a place of international importance. The choti haveli in the court area of Vidisha town, 50 km from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, had this dramatic transformation on Friday afternoon as social activist Kailash Satyarthi was announced the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize along with Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan.
Celebrations broke out near his ancestral home in the choti haveli area around 2.30 p.m. when Mr. Satyarthi called up his nephew to inform about the good news.
All his relatives and friends started streaming to his house.
Crackers were burst and sweets were distributed in the lanes and bylanes in the haveli area.
Mr. Satyarthi, who was born in 1954, had his education and began his career as a social worker in that area. His elder brother Jagmohan Sharma told The Hindu that Diwali had already arrived there. “It is more than Diwali for us. After all, Nobel is the world’s highest award.”
His long-time neighbour and member of Parliament, Munnawar Salim, said Mr. Satyarthi was like a guru for him. “So far he had been my guru and now the world has recognised him as its guru,” an ebullient Mr. Salim said.
Chouhan congratulatesMadhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan congratulated Mr. Satyarthi for his achievement.
Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said Nobel Prize for Mr. Satyarthi had come as a great honour for Madhya Pradesh.
