'The Jannayak Karpoori Thakur' book review: The inequality of it all

Across the timeline of history, many prominent personalities get lost. Shining the spotlight on one such name is a new book, titkled The Jannayak Karpoori Thakur: Voice of the Voiceless. Written by Santosh Singh along with Aditya Anmol, it traces the journey of the socialist icon from being born as a Kapoori in 1924 to his political rise, which did not just leave a lasting effect in Bihar but also the entire nation.

Born in the Nai community in Pitaunjhia, an obscure village in Samastipur, to Gokul Thakur and Ramdulari, Karpoori was one of the nine siblings and was destined to live the life of a destitute, a fate he refused to resign to. Instead, he decided to break the cycle of oppression and make a path of his own. He was a smart student and a brilliant orator, but his life took a sharp turn when he joined the freedom struggle. During this time, he also faced 26-month-long jail time. Despite his personal challenges, he kept pushing the boundaries of a socialist future for the country as he recognised the economic realities of most Indians, who were in dire need of an equaliser to make their lives livable.

The book goes on to depict how his deep connection with the grassroots helped him win from Tajpur assembly not just in the first General Elections where Congress dominated across all boards, but also in successive elections. He also played an instrumental part in the formation of the country’s first non-Congress coalition government in Bihar in 1967, but his first chance to become the chief minister was snatched away and he had to settle for the deputy CM position. He became the CM three years later. After becoming the CM for the second time in 1977, he radically changed the political discourse of the state, and subsequently, the nation by allocating twenty-six per cent reservation divided into twelve per cent for extremely backward classes, eight per cent for other backward classes along with three per cent each for women and poor people from the general category in Bihar government jobs. This stratification of quota within quota was one-of-a-kind of policy decision, and helped give representation on a wider level.

Born at a time when education was not accessible to all and untouchability was the norm, Karpoori Thakur decided to use it as a tool to proceed further in his life. In the book, both writers have been able to carefully dissect the leader’s politics and life, and what eventually made him the jannayak.

Today the majority of the country’s population continues to struggle to live a life with basic dignity, even as outrageous portrayals of lavish lifestyles become the new normal. In this context, Singh and Anmol’s book help reassess the reality and the dystopia of it all. It reconnects us with the core idea of India and the promise made to its citizens. Through Karpoori Thakur’s life, the book poses difficult questions for those in power, and attempts to hold them accountable, even though the socialist India that he imagined for us remains an unfulfilled dream.

The Jannayak Karpoori Thakur

By: Santosh Singh, Aditya Anmol

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 424

Price: Rs 599