Ram Sundar Das

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Introduction

Ram Sundar Das was the 15th Chief Minister of Bihar, serving from April 21, 1979, to February 17, 1980. He was a Dalit leader and a veteran socialist who took office during a turbulent period marked by backlash against the affirmative action policies introduced by his predecessor Karpoori Thakur, which reserved government jobs and educational seats for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Das was seen as a moderate compromise figure, balancing caste tensions and aiming to maintain the coalition within the Janata Party.

His government clarified and somewhat diluted Thakur's original reservation policy amid widespread protests. However, his tenure was short-lived due to the national political instability and the unraveling of the Janata Party. After the fall of Charan Singh's government in 1980 and Indira Gandhi's return to power, Das's government was dismissed under law-and-order pretexts. Despite his brief tenure, Ram Sundar Das is remembered for navigating Bihar's complex caste politics during a non-Congress era and later served as a Member of Parliament multiple times. He passed away in 2015 at the age of 95.indianexpress+3​