Former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur to be awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously

Karpoori Thakur, a prominent socialist leader and former Bihar chief minister will be awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously, the Rashtrapati Bhavan announced on Monday.

Thakur, also revered by his followers as ‘Jannayak’, was known for his efforts to strengthen the backward castes.

Born on January 24, 1924, Thakur was imprisoned during the Quit India Movement against the British regime. He won his election for the first time in 1952, and since then never lost a single election in his career.

Karpoori Thakur paved the way for reservations for backward castes in government services in Bihar in 1978, a move that would set the tone for the implementation of the Mandal Commission report in 1990.

He served as chief minister from December 1970 to June 1971 and from December 1977 to April 1979. Karpoori Thakur died on February 17, 1988.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to the Gandhian socialist leader. “I am delighted that the Government of India has decided to confer the Bharat Ratna on the beacon of social justice, the great Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Ji and that too at a time when we are marking his birth centenary. This prestigious recognition is a testament to his enduring efforts as a champion for the marginalized and a stalwart of equality and empowerment,” he posted on social platform X.