Townhall Times, New Delhi
Reporter: Bhavika Kalra
Think about the last time you saw a politician who didn’t live in a mansion. Hard to picture, right? Well, today marks the death anniversary of a man who broke every rule in the Indian political handbook. On February 17, 2026, the Vice President paid tribute to Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur, but let’s look past the floral wreaths and official speeches.
The real story of the “Jan Nayak” (People’s Hero) is much crazier than any government press release.
1. A Two-Time CM with ₹500 in His Pocket
This isn’t an exaggeration. When Karpoori Thakur died in 1988, he had served as the Chief Minister of Bihar twice. But when people checked his bank balance, he had about ₹500 left. He didn’t own a fleet of SUVs or luxury apartments.
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The Coat Story: There’s a famous story that when he had to travel abroad on an official trip, he didn’t even have a decent coat. Friends had to literally crowdfund one for him so he wouldn’t look “shabby” in front of foreign leaders.
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No Family Favors: He was famously allergic to nepotism. He once told his own son that he’d have to fight for a job on his own merit—no phone calls, no recommendations.
2. He Invented Social Justice Before It Was a Trend
Long before the “Mandal” era changed India, Thakur was doing the heavy lifting in Bihar. Back in 1978, he did something that made the elite absolutely furious: he introduced a layered reservation system.
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The Big Split: He realized that within “Backward Classes,” some castes were much worse off than others. He split the quota into OBCs and EBCs (Extremely Backward). He wanted to make sure the smallest farmer, and the village barber got a shot at a government job, not just the influential families.
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Women’s Rights: He was one of the first guys to carve out a 3% quota specifically for women. In the 70s, that was basically unheard of.
3. The ‘Angrezi’ Rebel
One of his most controversial moves was making English an optional subject in Bihar’s high schools.
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The Logic: Big-city critics called him “backward.” But Thakur’s logic was simple: he saw thousands of brilliant village kids failing and losing their careers just because they couldn’t master a foreign language. He wanted to give them a level playing field. To millions of rural youths, he was the guy who finally opened the university gates for them.
4. Why the Bharat Ratna Matters Today
When the government finally gave him the Bharat Ratna in 2024, it felt like a massive “I told you so” for his supporters. It turned him from a local Bihar icon into a national legend. Today, every political party wants to claim him, but very few are willing to live like he did.
The Bottom Line
The Vice President’s tribute today isn’t just a formality. It’s a reminder that Karpoori Thakur proved you can be a powerful leader and an honest man at the same time. He didn’t just lead the poor; he remained one of them until his last breath.
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