JanNayak “Karpuri Thakur” honoured with Bharat Ratna
Former CM of Bihar Jannayak Karpuri Thakur honoured with Bharat Ratna posthumously on his 100th birth anniversary.
The Centre government’s decision to name former Bihar Chief Minister, the late Karpoori Thakur, for Bharat Ratna has started a race to claim credit. While Opposition leaders in Bihar have welcomed the announcement, saying their long-standing demand has been fulfilled, the BJP has accused them of selling the legendary leader’s legacy for votes.
The Bharat Ratna
It is important to know that The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conferred in recognition of “exceptional service/performance of the highest order”, without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex.
After the announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi penned a tribute to Thakur. The Prime Minister wrote that as a person belonging to the backward classes, he has much to thank the ‘Jannayak’ for.
I bow to Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Ji on his birth centenary. On this special occasion, our Government has had the honour of conferring the Bharat Ratna on him. I’ve penned a few thoughts on his unparalleled impact on our society and polity. https://t.co/DrO4HuejVe
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 24, 2024
Karpuri Thakur
Jannayak was born in 24 January 1924 to Gokul Thakur and Ramdulari Devi at Pitaunjhia (now Karpuri Gram) village in Samastipur District of Bihar. He belonged to the Nai (barber) community. He was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and Satyanarayan Sinha. He joined the All India Students Federation. As a student activist, he left his graduate college to join the Quit India Movement.
Gradually he came to frontline politics as Indian politician who served two terms as the 11th Chief Minister of Bihar, first from December 1970 to June 1971, and then from June 1977 to April 1979. He was popularly known as Jan Nayak.
After India gained independence, Thakur worked as a teacher in his village’s school. He became a member of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha in 1952 from Tajpur constituency as a Socialist Party candidate. He was arrested for leading P & T employees during the general strike of the Central Government employees in 1960. In 1970, he undertook a fast unto death for 28 days to promote the cause of Telco labourers.
Thakur was a votary of Hindi language, and as the education minister of Bihar, he removed English as the compulsory subject for the matriculation curriculum. It is alleged that the Bihari students suffered due to the resulting low standards of English-medium education in the state.
Thakur served as a minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, before becoming the first non-Congress socialist Chief Minister of Bihar in 1970. He also enforced total prohibition of alcohol in Bihar. During his reign, many schools and colleges were established in his name in the backward areas of Bihar.
Controversy raised on conferring Bharat Ratna
Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, said that the Centre “had to take this decision” in the aftermath of the RJD-JDU government’s caste survey and its results.
Previously Bihar Former chief minister Lalu Yadav also said that Thakur should have received the honour long back.”We raised this voice from the House to the streets, but the Central Government woke up when the present Bihar government of social concern conducted the caste census and increased the scope of reservation for the benefit of Bahujans. The fear is true; politics will have to focus on the concerns of Dalit Bahujan,”
Asked about the timing of the announcement, just before the Lok Sabha election, Tejashwi Yadav said, “Whatever the timing, our demand has been fulfilled. We had been fighting for this. All socialist leaders pushed for this.”
BJP Hit Back
Hitting back at the Opposition leaders, Union Minister and firebrand BJP leader Giriraj Singh said Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav had “sold to legacy” of Karpoori Thakur to get votes.
“Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav played in the lap of Congress for years. Why did they not get this done? The Congress government has not honoured anyone except the Gandhi family, whether it is Sardar Patel or BR Ambedkar. (Prime Minister) Modi ji has now brought a renaissance for the Sanatan Dharma with the ‘pran pratistha’ at Ram Temple and respected the backward classes by honouring Karpoori Thakur,” he said.
“Karpoori Thakur did not get this honour because Nitish Kumar demanded it, but because of Narendra Modi’s sensitivity,” he said.
Family members of Karpuri Thakur are very Happy
Younger son of Thakur become very emotional while he was expressing his feeling .
भारत रत्न मिलने पर भावुक हुए कर्पूरी ठाकुर के छोटे बेटे डॉ वीरेंद्र ठाकुर।#FORMERCMBIHAR #KARPURITHAKUR pic.twitter.com/ZBahrA4WL7
— News18 Bihar (@News18Bihar) January 23, 2024
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