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Lal Bahadur Shastri, an eminent Indian statesman and the second Prime Minister of India is remembered for his famous slogan, ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kissan’. This slogan, which means ‘Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer’, was coined by Shastri to highlight the importance of farmers and soldiers in the nation’s development. Shastri was a great leader who played a pivotal role in India’s freedom struggle and laid the foundation for India’s progress in various fields.
On January 11, 1966, Lal Bahadur Shastri passed away, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire generations. As we approach the 57th death anniversary of this great legend on January 11, 2024, we pay tribute to his immense contribution to India’s progress and development.
Lal Bahadur Shastri’s 57th Death Anniversary – Brief Biography
Lal Bahadur Shastri was born at Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh on October 02, 1904. His father was Sharada Prasad Shrivastava and his mother was Ramdulari Devi.
Shastriji had dedicated more than 30 years to serving our country and was known as a man of great competence and integrity. He was also a man of great inner strength, tolerance and humility. He was a people’s man and was also a man of vision towards the progress of the country.
Lal Bahadur Shastri former education was at East Central Railway Inter College in Mughalsarai and Varanasi. In 1926, he completed his graduation from the Kashi Vidyapeeth. Vidyapeeth gave him the title “Shastri” which means “Scholar” as a part of his bachelor’s degree award. But this title was then added to his name. Shastriji was greatly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and Tilak.
He tied the knot with Lalita Devi on 16 May 1928. He accepted a Khadi cloth and spinning wheel as a form of dowry for his wedding. He became a life member of the Lok Sevak Mandal (Servants of the People Society), founded by Lala Lajpat Rai. There he started his service for the upliftment of backward classes, and later on, he became the President of the same Society.
It was in the 1920s that Shastriji joined the Indian Independence Movement, in which he took part in the non-cooperation movement. He was, as a result, imprisoned for some time by the Britishers.
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Political Achievements/Life of Lal Bahadur Shastri
After India gained independence, Lal Bahadur Shastri took on several important positions in the government. In U.P., he started as a Parliamentary Secretary, but soon became the Minister of Police and Transport in 1947. As the Transport Minister, he made history by appointing women conductors for the first time. He also introduced a new policy for the police force, ordering them to use jets of water instead of lathis (batons) to disperse agitated crowds.
In 1951, Shastri was appointed as the General Secretary of the All-India Congress Committee. His efforts in carrying out publicity and other activities related to the election were highly successful. In 1952, he was elected to Rajya Sabha from U.P., and as the Railway Minister, he installed the first machine at Integral Coach Factory in Chennai in 1955.
Shastri’s political career continued to flourish, and he became the Minister for Transport and Communications in 1957, followed by the Minister of Commerce and Industry. In 1961, he was appointed as the Home Minister, where he created the famous “Shastri Formula” to deal with language agitations in Assam and Punjab. He also appointed the Committee on Prevention of Corruption.
On 9 June 1964, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the Prime Minister of India. During his time in office, he promoted several national campaigns to improve India’s agricultural and economic growth. He initiated the White Revolution, a program aimed at increasing milk production, and promoted the Green Revolution to increase food production in India.
Shastri continued the policy of non-alignment initiated by his predecessor, Jawaharlal Nehru, but he also established a relationship with the Soviet Union. In 1964, he signed an agreement with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike concerning the status of Indian Tamils in Ceylon. This agreement is known as the Srimavo-Shastri Pact. In 1965, Shastri officially visited Rangoon, Burma, where he re-established a good relationship with the Military government of General Ne Win.
During his tenure, India faced another aggression from Pakistan in 1965. Shastri granted liberty to the Security Forces to retaliate against the Pakistani aggression, famously saying “Force will be met with Force.” This gained him popularity among the Indian people. The Indo-Pak war ended on 23 September 1965.
On 10 January 1966, the Russian Prime Minister, Kosygin, offered to mediate between Lal Bahadur Shastri and his Pakistani counterpart Ayub Khan. The two leaders signed the Tashkent Declaration, which was aimed at resolving the conflict between the two nations.
A Glimpse into the life of Lal Bahadur Shastri
Lal Bahadur Shastri had a way with the common folk. They loved him for the way he connected with them. Here’s to remembering the inspirational figure he was:
- It was at the age of 16 that Shastri joined the non-cooperation movement against the British. He joined the fight against colonial rule soon after Mahatma Gandhi called upon the countrymen to unite and fight for independence.
- It was during his time as the Prime minister that the country was at war with Pakistan and facing a crisis of food shortage. Eventually, he stopped drawing his salary.
- He played a vital role in the White Revolution to make our country self-reliant in the production of milk. Lal Bahadur Shastri, as a result, created the National Dairy Development Board and also gave backup support to the Amul milk co-operative in Gujarat’s Anand.
- During the 1965 war, Shastriji’s slogan ‘Jai jawan Jai kisan’ meaning ‘Hail the soldier, Hail the farmer’ became a morale booster for the soldiers and farmers amid the crucial war and food scarcity.
- Shastriji raised his voice against the caste system and dowry system.
- He was a disciplinarian with high self-esteem and morals. After becoming the prime minister, he did not even own a car.
- As a man of prodigious integrity, Lal Bahadur Shastri felt responsible and hence resigned from his post as the Railway minister, owing to the loss of lives in a railway accident.
- For boosting India’s food production as well as promoting farmers’ prosperity, Lal Bahadur Shastri promoted the Green Revolution in the year 1965, which eventually led to an increase in food grain production, especially in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
- As a Prime Minister, his tenure was only for 19 months. He died from a heart attack on January 11 1966 in Tashkent. Shastriji was succeeded by Jawaharlal Nehru’s daughter Indira Gandhi.
Death of Lal Bahadur Shastri – How did Lal Bahadur Shastri Died?
Lal Bahadur Shastri, a remarkable leader of India, passed away on January 11th, 1966, due to a sudden heart attack, but there have been various conspiracy theories surrounding his death. Some theories contend that he was poisoned, while others contend that the official narrative was suppressed and he died of natural causes. Nonetheless, the Indian government’s official position is that Shastri passed away from a heart attack, despite the lack of hard evidence to back up these claims. Additionally, no formal inquiry into Shastri’s death has been conducted in the fifty years after.
Lal Bahadur Shastri, was a man of high integrity, competence, humility, tolerance, and great inner strength. Lal Bahadur Shastri was one of the most admired leaders of his time and was posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna, which is the highest civilian award in India, in 1966.
Lal Bahadur Shastri’s life was a shining example of simplicity and honesty. He had a deep understanding of the language of the common man and was highly influenced by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. He was a man of principles and believed in leading by example. He never compromised on his values and was always ready to make personal sacrifices for the greater good of the nation.
As a visionary leader, Lal Bahadur Shastri contributed significantly to the progress of the nation. He was instrumental in promoting the Green Revolution and was known for his slogan of “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan,” which means “Hail the soldier, Hail the farmer.” He encouraged the use of science and technology for the betterment of the country and also played a key role in India’s space program.
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Lal Bahadur Shastri’s Famous Quotes 2024
- “We believe in peace and peaceful development, not only for ourselves but for people all over the world.”
- “True democracy or the swaraj of the masses can never come through untruthful and violent means, for the simple reason that the natural corollary to their use would be to remove all opposition through the suppression or extermination of the antagonist.”
- “There comes a time in the life of every nation when it stands at the crossroads of history and must choose which way to go.”
- “India will have to hang down her head in shame if even one person is left who is said in any way to be untouchable.”
- “We have now to fight for peace with the same courage and determination as we fought against aggression.”
An idealistic man, Lal Bahadur Shastri was instrumental in bringing peace and harmony between India and Pakistan. Remembering Lal Bahadur Shastri as a freedom fighter, as a man of honour and dignity for his great achievements.
