Karpoori Thakur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karpoori Thakur
|
|
|---|---|
Thakur on a 2024 stamp of India
|
|
| 11th Chief Minister of Bihar | |
| In office 22 December 1970 – 2 June 1971 |
|
| Preceded by | Daroga Prasad Rai |
| Succeeded by | Bhola Paswan Shashtri |
| In office 24 June 1977 – 21 April 1979 |
|
| Preceded by | Jagannath Mishra |
| Succeeded by | Ram Sunder Das |
| 2nd Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar | |
| In office 5 March 1967 – 31 January 1968 |
|
| Chief Minister | Mahamaya Prasad Sinha |
| Preceded by | Anugrah Narayan Sinha |
| Succeeded by | Sushil Kumar Modi |
| Education Minister of Bihar | |
| In office 5 March 1967 – 31 January 1968 |
|
| Preceded by | Satyendra Narayan Sinha |
| Succeeded by | Satish Prasad Singh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 January 1924 Pitaunjhia, Bihar and Orissa Province, British India |
| Died | 17 February 1988 (aged 64) Patna, Bihar, India |
| Political party | Socialist Party, Bharatiya Kranti Dal, Janata Party, Lok Dal |
| Spouse | Phuleshwari devi |
| Children | Ram Nath Thakur (Son) |
| Occupation | Freedom Fighter, Teacher, Politician |
| Awards |  Bharat Ratna (2024) |
Karpoori Thakur (born January 24, 1924 – died February 17, 1988) was an important Indian politician. He served twice as the Chief Minister of Bihar, a state in India. His first term was from December 1970 to June 1971. His second term was from June 1977 to April 1979. People lovingly called him Jan Nayak, which means "people's hero." In 2024, after his death, he received India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. This special award was announced by the President of India, Draupadi Murmu.
Contents
Early Life and Freedom Fight
Karpoori Thakur was born in a village called Pitaunjhia in Samastipur District of Bihar. His parents were Gokul Thakur and Ramdulari Devi. His village is now known as Karpuri Gram. He belonged to the Nai community.
He was greatly inspired by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi. As a student, he was very active in politics. He joined the All India Students Federation. He even left his college studies to join the Quit India Movement. This movement was a big part of India's fight for independence from British rule. Because of his role in this movement, he spent 26 months in prison.
Life as a Teacher and Politician
After India became independent in 1947, Karpoori Thakur worked as a teacher. He taught at a school in his own village. Soon, he entered politics. In 1952, he became a member of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha. This is like a state assembly or parliament. He represented the Tajpur area as a candidate for the Socialist Party.
He was a strong supporter of workers' rights. In 1960, he was arrested for leading a strike of government employees. Later, in 1970, he went on a hunger strike for 28 days. This was to support the workers of a company called Telco.
Key Roles and Policies
Karpoori Thakur believed strongly in the Hindi language. When he was the Education Minister of Bihar, he made a big change. He removed English as a required subject for high school exams. This decision aimed to promote Hindi.
He served as a minister and also as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar. In 1970, he became the Chief Minister of Bihar for the first time. He was the first socialist Chief Minister who was not from the Indian National Congress party. During his time as Chief Minister, he also made alcohol illegal in Bihar. Many schools and colleges were opened in his name in less developed areas of Bihar.
Fighting for Social Justice
Karpoori Thakur was known as a champion for the poor and backward classes. He worked hard to help those who were not getting fair opportunities. During a tough period in India called the Emergency (1975–77), he joined other leaders. They led a movement called "Total Revolution." This movement aimed to bring peaceful changes to Indian society. They wanted to protect people's freedoms.
In 1977, a new political group called the Janata Party came to power. This party was formed by many different groups who wanted to defeat the ruling Congress party. Karpoori Thakur became the Chief Minister of Bihar for the second time.
He introduced a special policy in 1978. This policy set aside 26% of government jobs for backward classes. This was called a "reservation model." It helped different groups get a fair chance at jobs. For example, Most Backward Classes got 8%, women got 3%, and economically weaker people from upper castes got 3% of jobs. This policy was very important for social justice.
However, there were disagreements within his party about this policy. Some members tried to weaken the reservation policy. Because of these disagreements, Karpoori Thakur resigned as Chief Minister in 1979. The Janata Party later split into different groups.
Karpoori Thakur continued to be an important leader. He was elected to the Bihar Vidhan Sabha again in 1980 and 1985. He passed away before his last term ended.
He is seen as a mentor to many famous Bihari leaders. These include Lalu Prasad Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan, Devendra Prasad Yadav, and Nitish Kumar.
National Honours
India
- 2024 –
Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.
Legacy
Karpoori Thakur's legacy lives on in many ways:
- His birthplace, Pitaunjhia, was renamed Karpuri Gram (meaning "Karpuri village") after his death in 1988.
- A special coin worth 100 Rupees was released in his memory.
- Many institutions are named after him, like the Jan Nayak Karpuri Thakur Vidhi Mahavidyalaya (Law College) in Buxar.
- The Bihar Government opened the Jannayak Karpoori Thakur Medical College in Madhepura.
- The Department of Posts released a special commemorative stamp to honor him.
- A train running between Darbhanga and Amritsar is named Jan Nayak Express after him.
- The government has named several stadiums, colleges, and hospitals after him. There is also a Karpuri Thakur Museum. Books of his speeches and documentaries about him have also been created.
- A postage stamp was released to mark his 100th birth anniversary.
See also
- Karpoori Thakur ministry (1977–79)
