The central govt has announced to award India’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna to the former chief minister of Bihar – Karpoori Thakur. This announcement has been made ahead of his birth centenary this year. The award will be given posthumously to him.

Who was Karpoori Thakur?

An Indian politician, freedom fighter, and former chief minister of Bihar who served on the post from December 1970 to June 1971 from Bharatiya Kranti Dal and thereupon became a part of Janata Party to serve from 1977 to 1979. He was the first non-congress CM of the state.

Why is he relevant?

Popularly known as Jan Nayak, Thakur was close to Jaya Prakash Narayan and actively led the revolution during the emergency from 1975-77. He was known as a mentor for the most prominent leaders of Bihar – Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, and Ram Vilas Paswan. He used to champion the poor and in 1978, during his government, introduced reservations for OBCs in government jobs.

मुझे इस बात की बहुत प्रसन्नता हो रही है कि भारत सरकार ने समाजिक न्याय के पुरोधा महान जननायक कर्पूरी ठाकुर जी को भारत रत्न से सम्मानित करने का निर्णय लिया है। उनकी जन्म-शताब्दी के अवसर पर यह निर्णय देशवासियों को गौरवान्वित करने वाला है। पिछड़ों और वंचितों के उत्थान के लिए कर्पूरी… pic.twitter.com/hRkhAjfNH3

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 23, 2024

How was his childhood?

Born in the Samastipur district of Bihar, he was active in political movements since his school days. Coming from a Nai (barber) community, he knew the social disparities of those days. He left his graduation to join the Quit India movement and was imprisoned for 26 months.

Specifications of his policies

As the education minister of Bihar, he was a staunch supporter of the Hindi language and had removed English as a compulsory subject in high school. It is alleged that students of Bihar suffered due to this policy later on. Like Nitish Kumar, he too followed a strict principle against alcohol and enforced the prohibition of alcohol in Bihar.

Who is in his family?

His son Ramnath Thakur is an Indian politician from Janata Dal United and a Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar. He has extended his gratitude to his family and the people of Bihar for this award to his father. Nitish Kumar has also thanked the central govt for this announcement.

Also read: Former CM Of Bihar Karpoori Thakur To Be Awarded Bharat Ratna