As the Centre bestowed Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, to the late former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered the late leader and his selfless work for societal betterment.
On the occasion of his 100th birth anniversary, Modi, in his blog post, reflected on the legacy of Thakur, praising his 'simple lifestyle and humble nature'.
"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. I never had the opportunity to meet Karpoori Ji but, I heard a lot about him from Kailashpati Mishra Ji, who worked closely with him. He belonged to one of the most backward sections of society, the Nai Samaj. Overcoming numerous obstacles, he achieved a lot and worked for societal betterment," the PM said.
Modi also shared an anecdote about Thakur about how he preferred to spend his own money on any personal matter, including 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!," the PM said in his blog post.
The Prime Minister also hailed the former CM's commitment to social justice, stating that the latter's 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.
"He wanted to address the systemic inequalities that plagued Indian society," said the Prime Minister.
"Throughout his political career, he worked to improve education facilities for the poor. He was a proponent of education in local languages so that people from small towns and villages could climb the ladder and attain success. As CM, he took many measures for the welfare of senior citizens as well," he added.
Modi said his "government has walked on the path of Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Ji reflecting in our schemes and policies that have brought transformative empowerment."
"One of the biggest tragedies of our polity has been that barring a few leaders like Karpoori Ji, the call for social justice was restricted to being a political slogan. Inspired by Karpoori Ji’s vision we implemented it as an effective governance model," he said adding that "we lost him when we needed him the most."