On January 23, the President of India awarded the late Karpoori Thakur, the former Chief Minister of Bihar, the Bharat Ratna, following the suggestions of the Modi government. His battle for social justice had earned him the nickname “Jananayak” over the years. Thakur led Bihar’s first non-Congress administration.
On the centenary of the socialist leader’s birth, Prime Minister Modi wrote an homage to ‘Jan Nayak’ Karpoori Thakur. “I never had the chance to meet Karpoori Ji, but I heard a lot about him from Kailashpati Mishra Ji, who worked closely with him,” stated Prime Minister Modi in the commemorative piece.
Notably, Mishra had been Bihar’s Finance Minister before rising to the position of governor of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
While talking about the modest upbringing and way of life of Karpoori Thakur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi related a few examples that demonstrate the socialist leader’s simplicity.
PM Modi noted that Karpoori Thakur would much rather spend his money on any personal expense, such as his daughter’s wedding, than take any money from the public treasury.
PM Modi added, “During his tenure as Chief Minister of Bihar, a decision was taken to build a colony for political leaders, but he did not take any land or money for the same.” PM Modi used this story to illustrate Thakur’s simplicity. In 1988, a number of dignitaries visited his hamlet to offer condolences. They were brought to tears when they saw the state of his home—how could someone so tall live in a place so basic?
Karpoori Thakur, according to PM Modi, was an advocate of teaching in the local tongue so that residents of small towns and villages could also receive high-quality education.
Meanwhile, a race started in which avaricious Bihari leaders attempted to claim credit for the decision to award Karpoori Thakur with the Bharat Ratna posthumously. Leading this charge was RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is a member of the Bihar coalition administration. Lalu Yadav presented himself as the one defending Karpoori Thakur, despite his lifelong and adamant opposition to Thakur. We will reveal the identity of Karpoori Thakur before unveiling the face of Lalu Yadav, the man who forced Bihar into “Jungle Raj.”
Karpoori Thakur, the “Bharat Ratna” recipient
Although Karpoori Thakur’s exact birthdate is unknown, it is generally accepted that he was born in Pitaunjia, Samastipur district, on January 24, 1924. He was the child of Ramdulari Devi and Gokul Thakur. The village of his birth is today called “Karpoori Gramme.” He came from a “Nai” family, which is categorised as a backward neighbourhood.
Thakur attended CM College in Darbhanga to further his studies, but he was unable to finish it because he actively supported Mahatma Gandhi’s “Quit India” movement and took part in the fight for India’s independence in 1942.
Pyare Thakur was the name of Karpoori Thakur’s grandpa. There were two brothers and six sisters for Karpoori Thakur. One of his brothers went by the name of Ramswarath Thakur. Galho, Siya, Rajo, Sita, Parvati, and Shail were his sisters. Three acres of agricultural land and a thatched hut were included in the property’s name. He founded “Navyuvak Sangh” in his hometown in 1938. 1940 saw him graduate from high school. He belonged to the “Congress Socialist Party” of JP-Lohia prior to independence.
Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi had a significant influence on him. Thakur began his political career as a follower of the well-known socialist activist Ram Manohar Lohia. Thakur was continuously elected to the Lok Sabha, or Legislative Assembly, from 1952 until his death. In his capacity as Bihar’s Minister of Education, he eliminated English’s requirement for the matriculation exam. This gave many underprivileged kids who were falling behind because of their weak English abilities a chance.
Panchayati Raj was a system that Karpoori Thakur supported. He held panchayat elections in Bihar when he was appointed Chief Minister in 1971 and again in 1978. The state did not hold panchayat elections for 20 years after that.
Thakur introduced reservations within reservations, allocating 8% of reservations to the less fortunate strata and 12% to the most disadvantaged. In addition, he inserted a clause guaranteeing a 3% reservation for women and economically disadvantaged members of upper castes.
Karpoori Thakur of Tajpur won his first election to the legislative assembly in 1952. He defeated the Congress nominee in 1957 while running as a nominee of the Praja Socialist Party in the same constituency. He travelled throughout Western Asia and Europe in the 1950s. In 1962, he was elected again from the same constituency. He was elected on the “Samyukta Socialist Party” ticket in 1967. Karpoori Thakur was appointed deputy chief minister when Mahamaya Prasad’s cabinet was established in 1967. He was given key areas, including finance and education.
When Bihar had midterm elections in 1969, Karpoori Thakur of Tajpur won again. Prior to taking office as Bihar’s chief minister on December 22, 1970, he participated in a 28-day labourers’ hunger strike in Jamshedpur. After their demands were met, the workers at the Tata Factory began to view Karpoori Thakur as their leader. In support of the Gomia Explosive Factory workers, he too went on a hunger strike. He recorded another victory in Tajpur in 1972. But by then, Jayaprakash Narayan’s student movement had gained momentum, and in May 1974, he resigned from his post as a legislator in response to the resignations of opposition leaders.
The emergency was then declared. Thakur started a number of anti-emergency initiatives under Indira Gandhi’s dictatorial reign, primarily organising them from Nepal. Karpoori Thakur, running on the Janata Party ticket, defeated Samastipur in the 1977 Lok Sabha elections. He was reappointed as Bihar’s chief minister in June 1977. He won a legislative seat in Madhubani by defeating Congressman Ramjayapal Singh Yadav from Phulparas. The Chief Minister must become an MLA within six months. He ran from Samastipur and won when the Tajpur region was split in 1980.
As soon as the Congress administration was established in Bihar, he was named leader of the opposition. With Chaudhary Charan Singh, Karpoori Thakur split, and the Lok Dal (K) was founded. Karpoori Thakur was defeated in the 1985 parliamentary elections in the wake of Indira Gandhi’s death. Even so, two months later, he emerged victorious in the Sitamarhi assembly elections from Sonbarsa, despite this being his first electoral defeat. Even though the Janata Party and Lok Dal did not unite, Karpoori Thakur’s Lok Dal became the biggest opposition party after winning 47 seats in that election.
Karpoori Thakur was referred to by Lalu Yadav as a “Kapti.”
Lalu Yadav became a prominent figure in the Jayaprakash Narayan-led student movement during the Emergency. Lalu Yadav, who grew up in Fulwariya, Gopalganj, was talented in theatre and participated in local plays as a young boy. He is seventy-five years old, and he still likes to play the game of sitting on a buffalo, but it’s a new kind of drama. He is now claiming credit for Karpoori Thakur’s “Bharat Ratna” award.
Lalu Yadav tweeted, “My political and ideological guru Karpoori Thakur ji should have received Bharat Ratna long ago,” upon the announcement of Bharat Ratna. We took our voice from the House to the streets, but when the current Bihar government expanded the scope of quota for the benefit of the Bahujans and conducted a caste-based census in the contemporary context of social issues, the federal government took notice. Politics will need to pay attention to Dalit Bahujan’s worries since the worry is genuine. In addition to calling the Modi administration “scared,” Lalu Yadav referred to Karpoori Thakur as his “Guru.”
Can someone refer to their Guru as a “Kapti”? When someone is crafty or engages in “Kapat,” or dishonesty, they are insulted in Hindi with the word “Kapti.”
Karpoori Thakur was once referred to as “Kapati” by Lalu Yadav, who is now presenting Karpoori Thakur as his guru and accusing the Modi government of showing him respect “out of fear.” This is specifically mentioned in two books: “The Brothers Bihari” by Sankarshan Thakur and “Nitish Kumar and Ubharta Bihar” by Arun Sinha. Yadav became one of the most influential opposition leaders in Bihar by using Karpoori Thakur’s death in February 1988.
Although Lalu Yadav was a student leader and had served time in jail during the emergency, Karpoori Thakur deserves credit for introducing him to the mainstream of politics. Karpoori Thakur helped 29-year-old Lalu Yadav win a seat in the Lok Sabha from Chapra on the “Bharatiya Lok Dal” platform in 1977. In this election, Lalu Yadav received 85% of the vote, and he won by a 77% margin. Following this, the party also gave Karpoori Thakur the ticket for the assembly elections.
Despite the Congress’s historic win in 1980, Karpoori Thakur maintained socialist politics in Bihar. He inspired a lot of young people in that time. After his death, Lalu Yadav proclaimed himself to be Karpoori Thakur’s heir, something that Karpoori Thakur himself had never desired. In his book, journalist Sankarshan Thakur notes that Karpoori Thakur frequently referred to Lalu as “Lampat” (a vagrant). The same book also describes how Karpoori Thakur was referred to as “Kapti” in private by Lalu Yadav.
Karpoori Thakur’s lifelong private secretary, Lohiawadi Lakshmi Sahu, related an incident. Karpoori Thakur was a leader of the opposition and was not feeling well at the moment. He was at home, taking a nap. However, he was required to attend an assembly that was having a critical discussion on an issue. He requested that Shivanandan Paswan make car arrangements. Lalu Yadav used a used Willys Jeep that he drove alone during that period.
According to the tale, Lalu Yadav answered, “There is no oil in my car,” when Shivanandan Paswan requested him to transport Karpoori Thakur from his house to the assembly. Would you mind asking Karpoori Ji to purchase a car? He is a huge leader, for sure! Lakshmi Sahu says that Lalu Yadav stopped using Karpoori Thakur’s name after he was appointed Chief Minister because he believed that if he continued to do so, he would constantly be in Karpoori Thakur’s shadow. In addition, he broke his pledge to erect a memorial in Karpoori Thakur’s honour.
All that Lalu Yadav constructed was a wall surrounding the residence on Deshratna Marg, where Karpoori Thakur passed away. He consistently put off calling for the Karpoori Thakur Memorial to be built. Lalu Yadav had a close relationship with VP Singh and Devi Lal back then; therefore, it’s possible that’s why he didn’t see the use in aiding the sick Karpoori Thakur in Patna. In the end, Lalu Yadav succeeded Karpoori Thakur in March 1989, the year after Karpoori Thakur’s passing, with the approval of these two leaders. In the Bihar Legislative Assembly, he rose to prominence as the head of the opposition.
According to Arun Sinha’s book, Karpoori Thakur’s desire to provide a part to every caste in the backward society and his refusal to publicly share his intentions with others concerned Lalu Yadav. At that point, Lalu began addressing Karpoori Thakur as “Kapti Thakur.”
Lalu Yadav became the head of the opposition at the same time as another youthful leader, Nitish Kumar, persuaded legislators who did not agree with Yadav to back him. Today, the self-serving Lalu Yadav is claiming to be a follower of Karpoori Thakur.
What did shrewd Lalu Yadav accomplish for “Samajwad”?
Although Lalu Yadav’s supporters portray him as a champion of socialism and “social justice,” citing his ancestry as Karpoori Thakur and Ram Manohar Lohia, what has Lalu Yadav accomplished other than chanting anti-caste slogans like “Bhurabal Saaf Karo” and proposing caste-based censuses as a means of dividing Hindus?
Significantly, the RJD used Bhurabal (Bhu-Ra-Ba-La) as an acronym for Bhumihar-Rajput-Brahmin-Lala (Kayastha) to encourage other castes to unite under its umbrella.
The way Lalu is acting in an attempt to gain attention is a reflection of the saying “Jiyati Na Dihin Kaura, Mare Dolavay Chauran” (one who lives without dignity is as good as dead).
Lalu Yadav, an opportunist, once said that Nitish Kumar had “teeth in his stomach” (pet me dant), and that his party was now a part of his government. Why? The rationale is that both Tejashwi, the deputy chief minister in current administration, and Tej Pratap, the second son of Lalu Yadav, are ministers.
In the midst of Bihar’s credit scramble, chief minister Nitish Kumar intervened to claim credit for Karpoori Thakur’s Bharat Ratna, referring to it as his long-standing demand. While some gloat about toppling the Modi government, others argue that the decision was taken for electoral purposes.
It is now unclear how Karpoori Thakur will be remembered in Bihar 36–37 years after his death, at the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in 2024 and 2025, respectively. While the BJP will talk about celebrating a socialist, Lalu-Nitish will display this as a sign of respect to their “Guru” and talk about toppling the Modi government. It is impossible to forecast what will occur in Bihar because its politics differ from both traditional politics and politics in other regions of the nation.