Explainer: Who was 'Jan Nayak' Karpoori Thakur, now to be awarded the Bharat Ratna?

Karpoori Thakur, who is often referred to as Bihar’s 'Jan Nayak' or leader of the people, was a prominent figure in OBC politics in the state. This tall leader, who passed away in 1988 is now being posthumously nominated for India's highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, two days before his 100th birth centenary.

Thakur, as a champion of economically backward classes, was a trendsetter in Bihar politics. He boldly adopted radical policy decisions that had a huge impact in the state. As Bihar’s chief minister for two short tenures, his inclusive policies and thinking laid the foundation for the empowerment of backward classes in the state and inspired a new generation of politicians and parties. Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad often acknowledge Thakur as their mentor.

So, who was Karpoori Thakur that the BJP and regional parties in Bihar are all rushing to claim his transformative legacy as their own?

Thakur's political career

Thakur was born in 1924 in a village called Pitaunjhia in the Samastipur district of Bihar. (The village has since been renamed as Karpoori Gram). Born into a very poor family belonging to the extremely backward caste Nai (barber), Thakur began his political career as a young student actively participating in the Quit India movement. He even spent several months in jail.

In 1946, he became a member of the Congress Socialist Party founded by Ram Manohar Lohia and Jayaprakash Narayan.

Impressed by his leadership qualities, Lohia made him Bihar secretary in 1948, a post Thakur held till 1952.

In Independent India, he contested elections and became an MLA in 1952. He remained an MLA till his death in 1988, except in 1977 when he was an MP. Also, he lost an Assembly election in 1984 during the sympathy wave for Congress after Indira Gandhi’s assassination.

Thakur became the education minister of Bihar from March 5, 1967 to January 28, 1968. He became Bihar CM in December 1970 with the Samyukta Socialist Party but his government fell after six months. Seven years later, he became CM again in June 1977 but again, he was unable to finish a full term. In fact, he was ousted after two years, largely because of a reservation policy he implemented.

With time, a new crop of more politically savvy leaders like Nitish Kumar and Ram Vilas Paswan espousing the cause of social justice arrived on the scene and Thakur’s role in Bihar politics faded.

Torn coat saga

Thakur’s political reign may have been controversial because of his reservation policies but he was hailed for being a simple politician, who never sought any financial gains for himself. He was not corrupt and political leaders who visited his house on his death found it no bigger than a hut. A story that is often quoted about him is the one when Lohia sent him to Vienna to participate in the International Socialist Youth Conference in 1952. Thakur went to visit Yugoslavia and the country's president Josef Tito.

Thakur had borrowed his friend’s torn kurta for the meeting. When Tito saw his torn kurta, he gifted him one. While another story in a similar vein dates back to 1977, just after he became the Bihar CM. The Janata government was in power in Delhi and the Janata leaders had gathered in Patna to mark Loknayak JP’s birthday. At the function, the CM Karpoori Thakur walked in wearing a torn kurta. Samajwadi Janata Party chief Chandra Shekhar asked people to donate some money so that 'Karpooriji' could purchase a new kurta. Thakur accepted the money but donated it to the CM Relief Fund.

Bihar CM for two terms

Thakur holds the distinction of being the first non-Congress socialist leader to serve two terms as chief minister, first for seven months in December 1970 and later for two years in 1977.

Thakur’s radical policies

Thakur, however, left a mark in the state's politics with his radical policies. For example, he removed English as a compulsory subject for the matriculation examinations and completely banned alcohol in the state in 1970. (A move that Nitish Kumar in 2015)

Thakur also gave preference for unemployed engineers in government contracts because of which around 8,000 of them got jobs. His most controversial policy dealt with the introduction of a layered reservation system.

Champion of OBC classes

Much before any national initiative to give reservation benefits and quotas in jobs for other backward classes, Thakur introduced them in Bihar.

Under his term as CM, in June 1970, the Mungeri Lal Commission was appointed which named 128 backward communities in its report in February 1976.

94 of these 128 backward communities were identified as “most backward”. Thakur's Janata Party government implemented the recommendations of the Commission.

He devised a formula, the 'Karpuri Thakur Formula' which provided 26 per cent reservation, of which 12 per cent was for OBCs, the economically backward classes among the OBCs got 8 per cent, 3 per cent was for women, and the poor from the “upper castes” got 3 per cent.

According to news reports, he faced a lot of opposition from the upper castes for his reservation policy and his government fell. He was mocked about the barber caste he belonged to.

However, he strongly believed in social justice and believed in a society where resources are distributed equally and opportunities are accessible to all. He stood by the working class, labourers and small farmers. 

Passion for education

Education was a subject very close to his heart. Throughout his political career he tried to provide educational facilities for the poor and opened schools and colleges. He advocated the study of local languages so that people from small towns and villages can benefit.

What is ironic is that Thakur who came from the backward classes mentored politicians like Lalu Prasad, who hailed from stronger castes and eventually, they managed to usurp his position as an OBC leader. The BJP is also trying to claim him as one of their own but political observers say that Thakur's government fell in the past because the Sangh-affiliated sections of the Janata Party, who withdrew their support.