Bharat Ratna Awarded Karpoori Thakur Biography: Know everything about the socialist leader and former Bihar CM

Bharat Ratna Award:  The government on Tuesday, 23 January 2024, announced Karpoori Thakir to be awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously for his socialist reforms and contribution towards the welfare of the underprivileged in the society. The leader was a former Chief Minister of Bihar and played a crucial role in state politics.     

Who was Karpoori Thakur? 

The man who revolutionized the politics in Bihar, and forever changed the political scenario with his ‘controversial’ policies and ideologies. Thakur was a socialist leader dedicated to the upliftment of the underprivileged and fought for social justice eventually becoming the leader of the backward class and Chief Minister of Bihar twice and Deputy Chief Minister once. 

The ‘Jan Nayak’ as he is popularly called will be bestowed with the highest civilian honor posthumously as announced by the President's House on the occasion of his 100th birthday., “The President has been pleased to award Bharat Ratna to Shri Karpoori Thakur (posthumously),” Prominent political parties like the RDJ and the JD(U) have expressed their ardency for recognizing Thakur’s relentless efforts for the welfare of the underprivileged through the Bharat Ratna award. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X platform to share the news, “On behalf of my family members across the country, my respectful tribute to Jannayak Karpoori Thakur ji on his birth centenary. On this special occasion, our government has the privilege of honoring him with Bharat Ratna. I am sharing with you my feelings and thoughts about the unforgettable mark he has left on Indian society and politics…” 

Biography

Thakur was born in the Pitaunjia village in Samastipur District of Bihar to Gokul Thakur and Ramdulari Devi, a family of marginal farmers. He belonged to the Nai (Barbar) community and was a freedom fighter working in the Quit India Movement as a student activist, and spent 26 months as a prisoner during the Indian Independence Movement. 

He joined politics as a party member of the Socialist Party in 1952, earlier to which he also worked as a teacher. 

Thakur administered for the dignity of the “backward community” and the status of Hindi as an alternate language in the matriculation curriculum in Bihar. Some of his prominent decisions were the removal of the English language as a compulsory subject in Matriculation in the state and the absolute prohibition of alcohol in Bihar.        

He served as the 11th Chief Minister of Bihar from December 1970 to June 1971 and then from June 1977 to April 1979. ‘Jan Nayak’ died because of a heart attack on February 17, 1988.