LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI (லால் பகதூர் சாஸ்திரி)

Lal Bahadur Shastri;

Lal Bhadur Shastri was born on October 2, 1904, to Ramdulari Devi and sharada Prasad shrivastava, in Mughalsarai, United provinces . He shares his birthday with Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation. Lal Bhadur was against the prevailing caste system and therefore decided to drop his surname. the title “Shastri” was given after the completion of his graduation at Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi in 1925. The title “Shastri” refers to a “scholar” or a person, adept in the “Holy Scriptures”.

Pre-independence Activism:

Young Lal Bahadur, inspired with the stories and speeches of national leaders, developed a desire to participate in the Indian nationalist movement. He would also spend time by reading foreign authors like Marx, Russell and Lenin. In 1915, a speech of Mahatma Gandhi changed the course of his life and decided to actively participate in India’s freedom stuuggle.

In order to participate actively in the freedom movement, Lal Bahadur compromised even with his studies. In 1921, during the non-cooperation movement, Lal Bahadur was arrested for demonstrating defiance against the prohibitory  order. Since he was a minor then, the authorities had to release him.

In 1930, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the secretary of local unit of the Congress party and later the president of the Allahabad Congress Committee. He played a crucial role during the Gandhi’s salt Satyagraha. He led a door-todoor campaign, urging people not to land revenue and taxes to the British. shastri was among the prominent Congress leader who were imprisoned by the British Government in 1942. During the Long span in confinement, Lal Bahadur utilized the time in reading the social reformers and western philosophers. In 1937, he was elected to the UP legislative Assembly

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Post-Independence:

Lal Bahadur Shastri had served in various positions before being elected the prime Minister of India. After Independence, he became the Minister of police in the Ministry of Govind Vallabh Panth in Uttar Pradesh. His recommendations included the directions for using “water-jets” instead of lathis to disperse the unruly mob. Impressed with his efforts in reforming the state police department, Jawaharlal Nehru, invited Shastri to join the Union cabinet as Minister for Railways. He was widely known for his ethics and mortality. In 1956, Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned from his post, following a train accident that killed around 150 passenger near Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu. Nehru, had once said, “No one could wish for better comrade then Lal Bahadur, a man of the highest integrity and devoted to ideas”.

As a prime Minister of India :

Jawaharlal Nehru was succeeded by a mild-mannered and soft-spoken Lal Bahadur Shastri on 9 June, 1964. Shastri emerged as the consensus candidate after the sudden demise of Nehru, even though there were more influential leaders within the ranks of Congress. Shastri was a follower of Nehruvian socialism and displayed exceptional cool under dire situations.

Shastri tackled many elementary problems like food shortage, unemployment and poverty. To overcome the acute food shortage,Shastri asked the experts to devise a long-term strategy. This was the beginning of famous “Green Revolution”. Apart from the Green Revolution, he was also instrumental in promoting the White Revolution. The National Diary Development Board was formed in 1965 during Shastri’s stint as prime Minister.

Death:

Lal Bahadur Shastri, Who had earlier suffered two heart attacks, died of a third cardiac arrest on 11 January, 1966. He is the Only incumbent Indian Prime Minister to have died overseas. Lal Bahadur Shastri was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award posthumously in 1966.

Mystery Surrounding Shastri’s death:

Shastri’s sudden death immediately after signing the Tashkent Pact with Pakistan raised many suspicious. His wife, Lalita Devi, alleged that Shastri was poisoned and the Russian butler serving the Prime Minister was arrested. But he was released later as doctors certified that Shastri died of Cardiac arrest the media circulated a possible conspiracy theory hinting at the involvement of CIA in the death of Shastri. The RTI query posted by author Anuj Dhar was declined by the Prime Minister Office citing a Possible souring of diplomatic relations with the US.