Ram Vilas Paswan

Ram Vilas Paswan was a Dalit leader from Bihar who founded the Lok Janshakti Party and served in many Union cabinets, last as minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution. He was named for the Padma Bhushan posthumously in 2021 in the field of public affairs, from Bihar ^[1].

A flood-prone village

Paswan was born on 5 July 1946 into a Dalit family in a flood-prone village in Khagaria district ^[2]. He knew poverty and discrimination early, and as a boy had to change boats twice a day to reach school ^[2]. He took a law degree and an MA from Patna University, and qualified through the Bihar Public Service Commission as a deputy superintendent of police, but resigned to go into politics ^[2].

Offices

A socialist, he counted Jayaprakash Narayan, Karpoori Thakur and Ram Manohar Lohia among his influences ^[2]. He was elected to the Bihar assembly in 1969, and in 1977 won the Hajipur seat in the Lok Sabha by a record margin ^[2]. In the 1980s he formed the Dalit Sena, and in 2000 founded the Lok Janshakti Party ^[2].

He won nine Lok Sabha elections and was a cabinet minister for social justice and empowerment, railways, communications, coal and mines, steel, chemicals and fertilisers, and food and consumer affairs ^[2]. As food minister during the Covid-19 lockdown he oversaw the delivery of food grains to the poorest households ^[2].

Ram Vilas Paswan died in October 2020 ^[2].