KARPURI THAKUR -Barber to Chief Minister. By Venkatachalapathi.P.B. Davangere
KARPURI THAKUR-Barber to Chief Minister - K Jananayak Karpuri Thakur: The Architect of Subaltern Assertiveness Introduction: The Barber Who Scaled the Peak of Power Karpuri Thakur was not merely a politician; he was a phenomenon. Rising from the Nai (barber) community—a group historically marginalized even within the hierarchy of backward classes—he dismantled the monopoly of upper-caste hegemony in Bihar. Known as Jananayak (Leader of the People), his legacy is the cornerstone of modern identity politics in Northern India. 1. The Crucible of Struggle (1924–1952) Born into the humble household of Gokul Thakur in Samastipur, Karpuri’s early life was a constant negotiation with poverty and caste-based exclusion. The Nationalist Spark: While a student at CMC College, Darbhanga, he plunged into the 1942 Quit India Movement . His 26-month incarceration in Bhagalpur Camp Jail served as his political baptism, where he transitioned from a student agitat...