Ram Vilas Paswan: The Dalit kingmaker who lasted longer than many kings

The veteran Dalit leader died on Thursday at the age of 74 at a private hospital where he had recently undergone a heart operation

In politics people you support may forget you sometimes but if you attack a group, then they will never forget and forgive you, Ram Vilas Paswan once said in an informal get-together when someone prodded him on the secret of goodwill and warm equations he enjoyed across parties of contrasting ideological hues and communities.

This kernel of Paswan's political philosophy very much defined the Dalit leader who might not have ever been a king but as a kingmaker outlasted many kings in his illustrious career of more than five decades.

The veteran Dalit leader died on Thursday at the age