New Delhi
The ruling Grand Alliance or 'Magagatbandhan' in Bihar appeared conflicted over the central government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi posthumously awarding the Bharat Ratna, India's biggest civilian honour, to the eastern state's former chief minister Karpoori Thakur.
Let me break down the controversy for you.
While the alliance partner Janata Dal (United) of JD(U) hailed Prime Minister Modi, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Bihar Congress said the decision was politically motivated with an eye on the approaching general elections later this year.
There was some bitterness already within the alliance. There was a tussle over the Malmas Mela incident in Rajgir, Nalanda, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's home district. People's attention was drawn to his deputy Tejashwi Prasad Yadav from RJD, who was 'missing' from the banners and hoardings erected by the state administration to welcome tourists.
Who was Karpoori Thakur?
Karpoori Thakur (1924–1988) was an Indian politician and member of the Bharatiya Kranti Dal. He served as Bihar's 11th chief minister for two terms, 1970 to 1971 and 1977 to 1979.
He also served as Bihar's education minister from 1967 to 1968.
Thakur was known as Jan Nayak, which means "people's hero" in Hindi. He was noted for his modest lifestyle, straightforward intellect, and strong will.
He was also noted for his work to improve the lives of Dalits, the oppressed people, and the disadvantaged.
Despite his effective governance and principled leadership, Thakur's prominence dwindled with time.
The advent of a new wave of social justice leaders in Bihar altered the political landscape, resulting in a transition in the state's leadership.
While some of Thakur's policy moves sparked debate, his integrity was widely respected. Thakur's policies and reforms had a lasting impact, ushering in important changes in critical areas such as education, employment, and farmer welfare.
The 'Karpoori Thakur Formula' granted 26% reservation in jobs for disadvantaged communities.
The OBCs or other backward communities received 12 per cent reservation, economically backward OBCs got eight per cent, women three per cent, and poor "upper castes" three per cent.
Although it encountered criticism, the 'Karpoori Thakur Formula' made a significant contribution to Bihar's political and social scene.
Other bold policy decisions he made, such as abolishing the obligatory study of English, establishing alcohol prohibition, and preferred treatment for jobless engineers, had a long-lasting impact.
Also read | Who was Karpoori Thakur? The ‘Jan Nayak’ honoured with Bharat Ratna posthumously
What is the Bihar alliance and why is the divide?
The Bihar Alliance or Magagadbandhan consists of JD (U), RJD, Indian National Congress (INC), and Left parties including the Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation-CPI ML (Liberation) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM), with Nitish Kumar from JD (U) as the chief minister.
“This is a combination of mixed personalities, ideologies, and personal chemistry," Sajjan Kumar, a political analyst told WION.
He said the current controversy over Bharat Ratna is associated with the recent political history of Bihar.
He pointed out that BP Mandal, another former chief minister, and Karpoori Thakur never went along.
Mandal was a prominent member of the Yadav community, which is part of OBCs.
His report, the so-called Mandal Commission Report, was a key instrument of OBC reservations and political mobilisation of OBCs.
His term as chief minister of Bihar was short-lived.
"Where a dominant OBC conspired with the Congress and the first Non-Congress Government was meant to collapse," Kumar noted.
Lalu Prasad Yadav, another prominent OBC leader who was a long-term chief minister and father of the current deputy CM, "cultivated the model of Mandal, a feudal mindset whereas Nitish Kumar went with the model of Karpoori Thakur which was interested in the egalitarian government, a more grounded one which works for the deeper sections," Kumar pointed out.
"It’s about leadership chemistry, where one can fit with the other one.”
What does Bharat Ratna decision tell us about the BJP's ideology?
According to Kumar, conferring of the Bharat Ratna to Karpoori Thakur "is a brilliant political move by the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party which rules at the centre) to reach the Extreme Backward Class (EBCs)".
"Additionally, this could be a respectable offering or incentive to Nitish and use it to exit the Mahagadbandhan."
"According to insiders, things are not going well in the coalition. This has been the BJP's ideology for quite some time. This is a pan-Indian template. It was difficult for Bihar because Nitish and Lalu took away a large population that the BJP struggled to break."
With political parties seeking to honour the late Thakur's 100th birth anniversary as an extremely backward caste (EBC), the BJP's decision is expected to have an impact on the political landscape.
Parties are attempting to appeal to EBC voters in the light of a recent Bihar caste census finding that they account for 36 per cent of the population.
That may be the political reason for conferring Bharat Ratna to Thakur.