Lal Bahadur Shastri – the
man of principles, was born on October 2, 1904. He was the second Prime
Minister of the Independent India. Shastri was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and
his thoughts were greatly influenced by him. He gave a slogan ’Jai Jawaan Jai
Kisaan’ and it became relatively popular and is remembered, especially by the
agrarian community even nowadays. He served as the Railway Minister too.
Childhood
Lal Bahadur Shastri was born
to Ramdulari Devi and Sharada Prasad Shrivastava, in Moghalsarai, United
Province (Uttar Pradesh) in a Kayastha family. He lost his father when he was
only a year old. He grew up at his maternal grandfather’s place. Even without
his father, he grew up learning virtues like boldness, love of adventure,
patience, self-control, courtesy, and selflessness.
Education
Shastri attained his primary
education in Mirzapur. After that he went to East Central Railway Inter College
in Mughalsarai and Varanasi. He attained his degree in first class from the
Kashi Vidyapeeth in the year 1926. He was called Shastri because he was a
scholar.
Career
He became a life member of
Servants of the people society initiated by Gopal Krishna Gokhale and became
its president. He began to work for the upliftment of the poor and downtrodden.
He also joined Indian Independence Movement in 1920s and spent almost 9 years
in jails on various occasions. His activities also included joining
Non-Cooperation movement and Salt Satyagraha too. Lal Bahadur Shastri joined
Quit India Movement and led the freedom fighters affectively.
After Independence, on 15th
August 1947, Lal Bahadur Shatri was appointed the Minister of Police and
Transport. He was the one to initiate the inclusion of women as bus conductors.
In 1951, he was elected as the General Secretary of All India Congress
Committee.
On 11th June, 1964, Lal
Bahadur Shastri was appointed as the second Prime Minister of India, after the
death of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
At the end
Lal Bahadur Shatri led India
in the Indo-Pak war of 1965, when Pakistani military infiltrated Indian
territory of Kutch and Kashmir. When India took Pakistan to its crushing
defeat, UN intervened and they both signed the Tashkent Declaration. The next day
at Tashkent he died of heart attack, which was mainly taken as a mysterious
plot set by the enemies. He died on Jannuary 11, 1966. He is the only Indian
Prime Minister, to have died in office, overseas. He was awarded India’s
highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna posthumously.
