Karpoori Thakur, who was the Chief Minister of Bihar twice, will be awarded the highest civilian honor ‘Bharat Ratna’. It has been announced that he will be given this honor posthumously. Karpoori Thakur’s 100th birth anniversary is on 24th January. A day before this, the Central Government has announced to give him this honour.
Karpoori Thakur was known for advocating the interests of backward classes. He will be the third person from Bihar to receive the highest civilian honour. Before him, this honor was given to the first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Loknayak Jaiprakash Narayan. Bihar-born Bismillah Khan has also been awarded Bharat Ratna. However, his birthplace remained Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. His family still lives in Kashi.
Karpoori Thakur’s birth anniversary on Wednesday itself
Generally the Central Government announces the Padma Awards and sometimes Bharat Ratna on the eve of Republic Day. This time the government has announced Bharat Ratna two days before the Republic Day. On the eve of Karpoori Thakur’s birth anniversary on January 24, it has been announced to give him Bharat Ratna posthumously.
Karpoori Thakur’s son said this
Karpoori Thakur’s son Ramnath Thakur said that I want to thank the government on behalf of 15 crore people of Bihar for taking this decision.
PM Modi said this
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter, ‘I am happy that the Government of India has decided to honor Jannayak Karpoori Thakur, a symbol of social justice, with Bharat Ratna. That too at a time when we are celebrating his birth centenary. His unwavering commitment to the upliftment of Dalits and his visionary leadership have left an indelible mark on the socio-political fabric of India. “This award not only recognizes his remarkable contributions, but also inspires us to continue his mission of creating a more equitable society.”
Till now 48 people have received this honor
So far, 48 celebrities have been honored with this highest honor, which started about 68 years ago. It was first given in the year 1954 to the first Governor General of independent India, Chakraborty Raj Gopalachari, scientist Chandrashekhar Venkataraman and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
Sixth celebrity in 10 years to receive the honour.
During the tenure of nearly 10 years of Modi government, till now five personalities have been given the highest honour. Now Karpoori Thakur will be the sixth person to receive this honour. Before late Pranab Mukherjee, Bhupen Hazarika and Nanaji Deshmukh, this highest honor was given to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya in the year 2015 during the first term of Modi government. Four years later, a few months after the last Lok Sabha elections, it was announced to give the highest honor to three personalities.