Indian PM recounts anecdotes illustrating simplicity of Karpoori Thakur on his birth centenary
Image of Bihar's former chief minister Karpoori Thakur.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid heartfelt tributes to the Indian state of Bihar's two-time chief minister Karpoori Thakur on his 100th birth anniversary and spoke about the leader's significant contributions in the field of social justice and his unwavering commitment to ensuring people's welfare.
Karpoori Thakur was awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, on Tuesday (Jan 23), one day before his birth anniversary.
In his blog post, Indian PM Modi spoke about the legacy of Thakur and how he implemented quotas in jobs for other backward classes (OBCs) while ensuring equitable distribution of reservation benefits.
"Today is the birth centenary of Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Ji, whose relentless pursuit of social justice created a positive impact in the lives of crores of people," PM Modi said.
He emphasised the humble beginnings of Thakur and the resilience he showed by overcoming various obstacles to work for societal betterment.
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PM Modi also remembered anecdotes from the life of Karpoori Thakur which illustrated his simplicity and cited instances of him spending his own money on personal issues, which included his daughter's wedding.
“During his tenure as Chief Minister of Bihar, a decision was taken to build a colony for political leaders but he himself did not take any land or money for the same. When he passed away in 1988, several leaders went to his village to pay tributes. When they saw the condition of his house, they were moved to tears- how can someone so towering have a house so simple!” PM Modi wrote.
Thakur in Congress Party's omnipresent eratook distinctly anti-Congress line: PM
Recalling an incident from 1977 when he had become the chief minister of Bihar, PM Modi said that Thakur attended an event with a torn kurta. He added that even though the then-chief minister received monetary help to purchase a new one, he donated the money collected to the CM Relief Fund, which showed his selfless nature.
"His political journey was marked by monumental efforts to create a society where resources were distributed fairly, and everyone, regardless of their social standing, had access to opportunities," PM Modi said, emphasising the commitment of Thakur to addressing systemic inequalities.
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“Such was his commitment to his ideals that despite living in an era where the Congress Party was omnipresent, he took a distinctly anti-Congress line because he was convinced very early on that the Congress had deviated from its founding principles,” he said.
(With inputs from agencies)