In the long arc of India’s political journey, the socialist movement led by Ram Manohar Lohia and later galvanised by Jayaprakash Narayan (JP), stands apart. It was not merely an ideological current but a mass awakening rooted in social justice, democratic participation, and the dismantling of entrenched hierarchies. The JP movement of the 1970s, in particular, produced a remarkable generation of leaders including Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad, George Fernandes, Sharad Yadav, among others who would go on to shape the politics of North India.

Yet, as the decades unfolded, the trajectories of many of these leaders diverged from the foundational ideals of that movement. The implementation of the Mandal Commission, which should have deepened social justice, often became an instrument to sharpen caste identities and consolidate political bases. In states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, this led to a hardening of social fault lines, sometimes even manifesting in violent caste conflicts.

It is in this context that Nitish Kumar stands out, not merely as a product of the JP movement, but as perhaps its most evolved and enduring practitioner.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Kumar chose to use the Mandal moment as a tool of inclusion rather than division. In Bihar, once marked by the rise of caste armies and deep social fractures, he worked towards redistributing power without triggering backlash. By bringing Extremely Backward Classes, Mahadalits, and Pasmanda Muslims into........

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