One of those annual visits is on July 7, the death anniversary of Jagjivan Ram, when Kumar visits Chandwa, spends a few hours with the villagers and pays homage at her father’s memorial.

“She speaks to us about carrying forward the legacy of her Babuji. Now that she has become Speaker, she has come out Jagjivan Ram’s shadow,” says Ashok Yadav, a villager. Yadav shows us Meira Kumar’s photograph from his personal collection—one with Kumar, her daughter and mother Indrani Devi.

Dipak Babu Chamar, who calls Meira Kumar his mausi (mother’s sister), says his family has had a long association with Meira Kumar’s. “I have been part of her election campaigns. My mother Sharda shares a great rapport with mausi,” says Dipak, who calls himself a “social worker”. “Twenty years ago, who would have imagined a Dalit woman as Speaker,” he asks proudly.

But Bodhram, Kumar’s neighbour, says she hasn’t done much for the village. “The only big moment Chandwa has had was when Rajiv Gandhi came to attend Babu Jagjivan Ram’s last rites. Otherwise, we don’t have much to show for our association with Babuji and his daughter,” says Bodhram, hoping Kumar’s elevation as Speaker will give the village better roads, better schools and vocational training centres.