How the BJP is Consolidating Voters

Though the Bharat Ratna to Karpoori Thakur may have come close to the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has been trying to own Thakur for quite some time

- Umesh Kumar Ray

THE Bharat Ratna award to the tallest socialist leader, Karpoori Thakur, posthumously, on the eve of his 100th birthday came as a surprise to many, as the demand was long-standing. Soon after the announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi penned an article on his official blog, which was carried by major newspapers the next day. He shared many anecdotes of Thakur’s life and said that his life revolved around the twin pillars of simplicity and social justice.

Thakur comes from the Nai (barber) family. The main profession of a barber is to cut hair, and apart from this, their presence is also mandatory in religious rituals at the time of marriage and death. Born on January 24, 1924, in Samastipur, Bihar, Thakur joined the Quit India movement when he was studying in college. He came in contact with Jayaprakash Narayan (JP). Thakur was the tallest socialist leader of Bihar and he practised anti-Congress politics throughout his political career.

Some of his decisions as deputy chief minister, education minister and chief minister—between 1967 and 1979—were landmarks as well as controversial. He started free schooling till matriculation, removed English from official works and made the subject optional in matriculation exams.

He was the one who implemented reservation in government jobs according to the recommendations of the Mungeri Lal Commission. He made a provision of 12 per cent reservation in government jobs for the extremely backward classes (EBCs) and eight per cent reservation for other backward classes (OBCs). Apart from this, 3.3 per cent reservation was also given to women and economically backward upper castes.

THAKUR WAS THE TALLEST SOCIALIST LEADER OF BIHAR AND HE PRACTISED ANTI-CONGRESS POLITICS THROUGHOUT HIS POLITICAL CAREER.