Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan Passes Away

Union minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution Ram Vilas Paswan passed away late on Thursday night. Recently, he underwent heart surgery in Delhi.

Informing about his father’s death, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan tweeted: “Papa …. Now you are not in this world but I know you are always with me wherever you are. Miss you Papa …” He has been hospitalised for the last few weeks. He had suffered from a heart condition, according to reports.

Paswan had served as the Union minister under several prime ministers and his LJP has been a member of all national coalitions.

Paswan, who had been an MP in the Lok Sabha for eight times, was one of the country’s most noted Dalit leaders. He was born on 5 July, 1946 at Shaharbanni village in Khagaria, eastern Bihar.

He completed his post graduation and also had a law degree. He passed the Bihar civil service examination and was selected to be a deputy superintendent of police but he did not take up the job.

Instead, he joined politics. He began his political career as a member of Samyukta Socialist Party (SSP).

In 1969, Paswan became a member of Bihar Legislative Assembly and in the next year, he was made the joint secretary of the SSP’s Bihar branch. Four years later, he became the general secretary of the Bihar branch of the new Lok Dal (People’s Party) which was formed through merger of the SSP and other parties.

In 1975, during Indira Gandhi’s tenure when emergency was imposed in the country, Paswan went to jail. He was released in 1977. During the same year, he was elected to Lok Sabha for the first time as Janata Party member at the age of 31 years. At this time, he created a world record for winning the election by highest margin. Paswan was re-elected five consecutive times from Hajipur constituency in Bihar.

In 2000, the veteran politician formed Lok Janshakti Party. Within one year after formation of his party, he became a minister in the first National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government under former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. After NDA lost power in 2004, Paswan joined Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in 2004 and again became a Union minister and continued to serve in the position till 2014.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to the Paswan family. “Working together, shoulder to shoulder with Paswan Ji has been an incredible experience. His interventions during Cabinet meetings were insightful. From political wisdom, statesmanship to governance issues, he was brilliant. Condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti,” he wrote on Twitter.

President Ramnath Kovind tweeted: “In the demise of Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, the nation has lost a visionary leader. He was among the most active and longest-serving members of parliament. He was the voice of the oppressed and championed the cause of the marginalised.”

“A firebrand socialist in youth, mentored by the likes of Jayaprakash Narayan during anti-Emergency movement, Paswan ji had enviable rapport with masses and he ardently strove for their welfare. Condolences to his family and supporters,” read the President’s second tweet.