Along with recognising the contribution of the recipient, the Padma and Bharat Ratna awards have always been tools for political messaging and the Narendra Modi government has been particularly astute in making its choices.
The Centre’s announcement on January 23 to confer the Bharat Ratna posthumously to Karpoori Thakur, the former chief minister of Bihar, marks a significant recognition of a political stalwart in the state’s history. As the birth centenary.