The personality of many people has an influence on our lives. It is natural for the words of the people we meet and those we keep in touch to have an impact on. But there are some people whom you get impressed by just hearing about them. Jannayak Karpoori Thakur has been like this for me.
Today is the 100th birth anniversary of Karpoori Babu. I never got the opportunity to meet Karpoori ji, but I have heard a lot about him from Kailashpati Mishra ji, who worked very closely with him. The efforts made by Karpuri Babu for social justice brought a big change in the lives of crores of people. He belonged to the barber community, i.e. the most backward class of the society. Overcoming many challenges, he achieved many achievements and continued working for the upliftment of the society throughout his life.
Jannayak Karpoori Thakur ji’s entire life was dedicated to simplicity and social justice. Till his last breath, he remained deeply connected with the common people due to his simple lifestyle and humble nature. There are many such stories related to him, which are an example of his simplicity.
People who worked with him remember how he insisted that not a single penny of government money should be used in any of his personal work. A similar incident happened in Bihar during his tenure as CM. It was then decided to build a colony for the leaders of the state, but they did not take any land for themselves. Whenever he was asked why he was not taking the land, he would just fold his hands politely. When he died in 1988, many leaders went to his village to pay tribute. Seeing the condition of Karpoori ji’s house, tears welled up in his eyes as he wondered how a person holding such a high position could have such a simple house.
Another popular story of Karpoori Babu’s simplicity is from 1977, when he became the CM of Bihar. At that time the Janata government was in power at the Center and Bihar. At that time, many leaders gathered in Patna for the birthday of Janata Party leader Loknayak Jaiprakash Narayan i.e. JP. The kurta of Chief Minister Karpoori Babu who was involved in it was torn. In such a situation, Chandrashekhar ji, in his unique style, appealed to the people to donate some money, so that Karpoori ji could buy a new kurta. But Karpoori ji was Karpoori ji. He set an example in this also. He accepted the money, but donated it to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Social justice was ingrained in the mind of public leader Karpoori Thakur ji. His political career is known for his efforts to build a society where resources are equally distributed and opportunities are available to all people, regardless of social status. His efforts were also aimed at removing many of the inequalities that had become entrenched in Indian society.
Karpoori Thakur ji’s commitment to his ideals was such that even during that period when Congress was in power everywhere, he decided to follow the anti-Congress line. Because he had realized long ago that Congress had deviated from its basic principles.
Karpoori Thakur ji’s electoral journey began in the early 1950s and it was from here that he emerged as a powerful leader in the state House. He became a powerful voice for the struggle of the working class, laborers, small farmers and youth. Education was a subject which was closest to Karpuri ji’s heart. Throughout his political career, he left no stone unturned in providing education to the poor. He was a big advocate of imparting education in local languages, so that people of villages and small towns also get good education and climb the stairs of success. While being the Chief Minister, he also took many important steps for the welfare of elderly citizens.
Democracy, Debate and Discussion were an integral part of Karpuri ji’s personality. His dedication to democracy was visible during the Quit India Movement, in which he devoted himself. He also strongly opposed the emergency imposed forcibly on the country. Celebrities like JP, Dr. Lohia and Charan Singh ji were also greatly influenced by him.
Jannayak Karpuri Thakur ji had made a concrete action plan to empower the backward and deprived sections of the society. A complete system was prepared for this to proceed in the right manner. This is one of his most prominent contributions. He hoped that one day these classes would also be given the representation and opportunities they deserved. Although there was a lot of opposition to his move, he did not succumb to any pressure. Under his leadership, policies were implemented that laid the strong foundation of an inclusive society where one’s birth does not determine one’s destiny. He belonged to the most backward section of the society, but he worked for all sections. He did not have even an iota of bitterness towards anyone and this is what brings him into the category of greatness.
Our government is continuously working taking inspiration from Jannayak Karpoori Thakur ji. This is also reflected in our policies and schemes, which have brought positive changes across the country. The biggest tragedy of Indian politics was that, except for a few leaders like Karpuri ji, the talk of social justice had become just a political slogan. Inspired by Karpoori ji’s vision, we implemented it as an effective governance model. I can say with confidence and pride that today Jannayak Karpuri ji would definitely be proud of the achievement of bringing 25 crore people of India out of poverty. Among those who came out of poverty, most of them were from the most backward sections of the society, who were deprived of basic facilities even after 70 years of independence.
Today we are trying for saturation, so that 100 percent beneficiaries get the benefits of each scheme. Our efforts in this direction show the government’s resolve towards social justice. Today, when people from OBC, SC and ST communities are becoming entrepreneurs through Mudra Loan, it is fulfilling Karpoori Thakur ji’s dreams of economic independence. Similarly, it is our government which has expanded the scope of SC, ST and OBC reservation. We also got the opportunity to set up the OBC Commission (sadly, Congress had opposed it), which is working on the path shown by Karpoori ji. The PM-Vishwakarma scheme, launched some time ago, will also create new avenues of prosperity for crores of people of the OBC community in the country.
As a person belonging to a backward class, I have learned a lot from the life of Jannayak Karpoori Thakur ji. Karpuri Babu has had direct and indirect contribution in the lives of many people like me. I will always be grateful to him for this. Unfortunately, we lost Karpoori Thakur ji at the age of 64. We lost him when the country needed him the most. Even though he is not among us today, he is alive in the hearts and minds of crores of countrymen because of his work for public welfare. He was a true public leader.
https://hindi.ultranewstv.com/politics/karpoori-thakur-par-pm-modi-ka-lekh/
