The Centre on Tuesday conferred Bharat Ratna posthumously to former Chief Minister of Bihar Karpoori Tahkur, popularly known as Jan Nayaak for his simplicity, honesty and dedication to the cause of marginalised people in society. Prem Kumar Mani, a socio-political thinker, shared his memories of Karpoori Thakur.
Prem Kumar Mani said Karpoori Thakur was the voice of the oppressed people of the society. While sharing one of the incidents, Mani recalled when Karpoori Thakur cremated a sweeper named Thakaita, who died after being beaten by the police.
Thakur performed the last rites of the victim of police assault as his own son and provided adequate compensation to his family, Mani said. He added that Jan Nayak was deeply pained by the brutality and inhumanity shown by the police.
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Another incident that Mani narrated was when Karpoori Thakur needed money for some program and asked a businessman named Dhanraj Singh, who later became a Member of Parliament (MP), to lend him some money. He met him near Dak Bunglow intersection and took only Rs 5,000 out of the Rs 50,000 that Singh offered him.
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Karpoori Thakur said that he needed only Rs 5,000 and returned the rest. Mani said that this was an example of his honesty and simplicity which he followed in his entire life.
Prem Kumar Mani expressed his happiness that Karpoori Thakur has been conferred with the nation's highest civilian award. He said that people’s leaders of his stature truly deserve such recognition.