Nitish Kumar pays tribute to Ram Vilas Paswan on death anniversary
Synopsis
Former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar paid solemn tribute to late Ram Vilas Paswan on his death anniversary, remembering the veteran Dalit leader and former Union Minister as a champion of social justice and the marginalised.
Key Takeaways
Nitish Kumar posted a Hindi tribute on 8 October 2026 , marking the death anniversary of Ram Vilas Paswan .
Paswan was a former Union Minister and founder of the Lok Jan Shakti Party , one of India's foremost Dalit political figures.
He passed away on 8 October 2020 in New Delhi after more than five decades of public life.
Kumar described Paswan as 'dedicated to the uplift of society's deprived sections and to social justice.' The tribute reflects the enduring political and social significance of Paswan's legacy in Bihar and national Dalit politics.
On the death anniversary of one of India's most enduring Dalit voices, former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar offered his homage to Ram Vilas Paswan — former Union Minister and Lok Jan Shakti Party founder — on Thursday, 8 October 2026, describing him as a popular leader dedicated to the uplift of society's marginalised sections and to social justice.
Kumar's tribute, posted in Hindi on X, read: 'Samaj ke vanchit vargon ke utthan tatha samajik nyay ke prati samarpit rahe lokpriya neta aur poorv Kendriya Mantri Swargiya Ram Vilas Paswan ji ko unki punyatithi par sadar shraddhanjali.' — 'Respectful tribute to popular leader and former Union Minister, the late Ram Vilas Paswan, on his death anniversary — a man dedicated to the uplift of society's deprived sections and to social justice.'
Ram Vilas Paswan: A life shaped by Dalit assertion
Ram Vilas Paswan was one of independent India's most recognisable Dalit political figures, a leader whose career spanned over five decades in Parliament and at the cabinet table. Born in Khagaria district, Bihar, he rose from modest origins to serve as Union Minister in governments led by leaders across the ideological spectrum — a political agility that earned him the nickname 'political weatherman' — but his compass on social justice for backward and scheduled communities rarely wavered. He passed away on 8 October 2020, in New Delhi.
Paswan held several significant portfolios over his career, including Food and Consumer Affairs, Chemical and Fertilisers, and Communications. His advocacy for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and other backward classes gave the Lok Jan Shakti Party its distinct identity in Bihar's fragmented political landscape. His son, Chirag Paswan, inherited the party leadership and has continued the political legacy in Parliament.
Nitish Kumar and Paswan: Bihar's intersecting political paths
The tribute from Nitish Kumar — himself a veteran of Bihar politics and the Janata Dal (United) national president — carries particular weight. Both leaders shaped Bihar's post-Mandal political order, often as allies, occasionally as rivals, but consistently as dominant voices in the state's social-justice discourse. Kumar's decision to mark the anniversary publicly underscores the continuing relevance of Paswan's legacy in the political calculus of Bihar, a state where caste arithmetic and social equity remain central electoral themes.
Paswan's death anniversary falls at a moment when the discourse around Dalit representation and reservations remains sharply contested at the national level — making tributes like this one more than ceremonial; they serve as quiet affirmations of an unfinished political conversation.
Point of View
Where Dalit and OBC consolidation continues to define electoral outcomes. By invoking Paswan's legacy of social justice, Kumar — whose JDU has long competed with the LJP for backward-class constituencies — implicitly positions himself as a custodian of that unfinished agenda. The tribute also signals to Chirag Paswan's voter base that goodwill, and perhaps alliance arithmetic, remains alive. In the broader national context, such anniversary homages keep the Dalit rights discourse in the public square at a time when debates around reservation and representation are intensifying.
NationPress
8 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Ram Vilas Paswan die?
Ram Vilas Paswan passed away on 8 October 2020 in New Delhi after a prolonged illness.
Why is Ram Vilas Paswan remembered in Indian politics?
Paswan is remembered as one of India's most prominent Dalit political leaders, a long-serving Union Minister who championed the rights of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and backward communities across governments of different political parties.
What did Nitish Kumar say about Ram Vilas Paswan?
Nitish Kumar described Paswan as a 'popular leader dedicated to the uplift of society's deprived sections and to social justice,' offering a respectful tribute on his death anniversary.
Who leads the Lok Jan Shakti Party after Ram Vilas Paswan?
Paswan's son Chirag Paswan took over the Lok Jan Shakti Party leadership after his father's death and continues to represent the party in Parliament.
What is Nitish Kumar's connection to Ram Vilas Paswan?
Both Nitish Kumar and Ram Vilas Paswan were senior Bihar leaders whose political careers intersected over decades, sometimes as allies and sometimes as rivals, within the state's social-justice political landscape.
