Our Lal Bahadur Shastri

Lal Bahadur Shastri was a noteworthy figure in the freedom struggle. He was humble and broadminded. He was filled with inner strength. Steadfastness was his personality. He had faced the mountain of sorrow. He had neither an elegance body nor wealth to meet his basic needs even in his adolescence.He had remained without food for a month because he had no money to purchase food. As he could not afford the fare of a boat, he had to swim across the Ganga River to attend school. He had to lose one of his sons due to lack of money. But, he was bahadur (brave) as his name suggested. He not only tackled all his obstacles but also became the Prime Minister of India.

He was born on 2nd October 1904 at Mugalsarai. He came from a pauper family. His father was Shri Sharada Prasad and mother was Smt. Ram Dularee Devi. His father departed when Lal Bahadur was a child. It resulted into the worst economical condition of the family.

He studied at Varanasi. Mahatma Gandhi went Varanasi in 1911 during Non cooperation movement. Gandhi jee convinced the young to play a part in the freedom struggle of India. At just sixteen, Lal Bahadur also gets motivated and joined the movement. He was sentence to the rigorous imprisonment for 2 years. Later, at Kashi Vidyapith he was awarded a bachelor’s degree or shastri which became part of his name. When India got her independence, shastriji held several Union Cabinet port folios. He added a new dimension to the Railway ministry, Commerce and Home Ministry. He resigned as a railway minister after he felt responsible for a major rail accident in Tamilnadu. This extraordinary wave was greatly appreciated by the country. He became Prime Minister on 9th June 1964 after the demise of Jawajar Lal Nehru. Though he remained only 18 months in this post, the country developed in every aspect under his prime ministerial tenure. He did much praiseworthy work. Problems such as Indo-Nepal relationship, language dispute of Assam and the theft of holy hair of Hazarat in Kashmir etc were solved by him diplomatically. He showed consummate guts in taking a speedy resolution to attack Pakistan in self-defense in 1965.

He is well-known for the saying “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”. He wanted the safety and the prosperity of the country. Hence, he chose the soldier and the farmer as the national builder masses.

Pakistan’s aggression into Kashmir was ended in Pakistan’s defeat and the ceasefire in Tashkent signed by Shastrijee and Ayub Khan on 1966. Shastri died in Tashkent soon after signing the treaty. He was the first person to be posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1966. The country lost her great son. All his life time he was known for his honesty, simplicity and humility. We have several lessons to learn from his life history.