Lal Bahadur Shastri

Lal Bahdur Shastri also known as the Peace man of India was the 2nd Prime Minister of India (1964-1966). He was born on October 2, 1904 in Uttar Pradesh. He joined the Indian freedom movement at a young age inspired by the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi. He played an active role in the Indian National Congress and freedom struggle. He was imprisoned many times during this struggle. After independence, he held many important ministerial positions and finally became the PM in 1964 after Jawahar Lal Nehru. His tenure as the PM witnessed food scarcity and Indo-Pak war of 1965. To boost the morale of Indian soldiers and farmers,, Shastri ji coined the slogan ‘ Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’. In 1966, he signed the Tashkent agreement with Pakistan Prime Minister Ayub Khan to resolve the Indo-Pak conflict. Soon after signing the agreement, Shashtri ji passed away in Tashkent on January 11, 1966. His exact cause of death has always been a question of debate. However, despite his short tenure as India’s PM, he is known for his honesty, integrity and dedication towards the welfare of Indian people.

Lal Bahdur Shastri born on October 2, 1904 in Mughalsarai, a small town in Uttar Pradesh. His parents were Sharda Prasad and Ramdulari Devi. His father was a school teacher. Shastri ji completed his schooling in Varanasi and then did his graduation from Kashi Vidyapeeth. He took part in Non-cooperation movement in 1920s and was also involved in Civil disobedience movement of 1930s. After independence, he held the position of Minister of Railways and Minister of Home affairs before becoming the Prime Minister of India in 1964.

Lal Bahdur Shastri, often called as Shastri ji was a prominent figure in Indian political history. He was an active participant in the freedom struggle and held important positions after the independence including the position of India’s 2nd Prime Minister. Tashkent agreement signed by him to end the Indo-Pak war is the most important event during his tenure to maintain peace between India & Pakistan after the 1965 war.

• Shastri ji started participating in the freedom struggle when he was in his 10th class. He started participating in public meetings organised by Gandhi ji in Benaras in 1921.
• He left Harish Chandra school on the call of Gandhi ji for students to withdraw from government schools during the Non-cooperation movement.
• In 1928, he joined the Indian National Congress.
• In 1930, he became the President of Allahabad Congress Committee.
• In 1937, he got elected to the U.P. Legislative assembly and he also worked as Organising Secretary of U.P. Parliamentary Board.
• Shastri ji also became the President of the Servants of People Society founded by Lala Lajpat Rai and worked for the welfare of Harijans.
• In 1940, he was imprisoned for 1 year due to his involvement in Individual Satyagraha.
• In 1942, after got released from the prison, he organised the Quit India Movement in Allahabad on the directions of Gandhi ji.

• After independence in 1947, he was elected as the Parliamentary Secretary in Uttar Pradesh.
• He became the Minister of Police and Transport in 1947 and appointed female conductors for 1st time.
• Later he was appointed as the Minister of Railways and Transport in the first cabinet of Republic of India.
• In 1956, after an accident in Tamil Nadu in which 144 people lost their lives, he resigned from his position as the Railway minister.
• Later on, he became the Minister of Commerce and Industry in 1959 and Minister of Home Affairs in 1961.

• Shastri ji became the 2nd Indian Prime Minister in 1964 after Jawahar Lal Nehru’s death.
• He was the 1st PM to have a senior ICS officer as his Secretary to advise him.
• He supported White Revolution in 1964 and established the National Dairy Development Board in Anand, Gujarat in 1965.
• During his tenure, in the Agriculture sector many organisations were established like The Agriculture Price Commission, Food Corporation of India (FCI), National Seeds Corporation and Warehousing Corporation of India.

• The Indo-Pakistan war, also known as 2nd Kashmir war was started in 1965 after Operation Gibraltar started by Pakistan to infiltrate Pakistan forces to Jammu and Kashmir.
• Shastri ji courageously led India in the war.
• To motivate the Indian soldiers in the war and Indian farmers fighting the food crisis, he gave the slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’.
• The war ended after a ceasefire was declared through United Nations Resolution 2011 by diplomatic intervention of the United States and Soviet Union.
• This global intervention resulted in the peace agreement between India’s PM Lal Bahdur Shastri and Pakistan’s PM Ayub Khan signed in Tashkent known as Tashkent Agreement.

• Indo-Ceylon Agreement/ Bhandarnaike-Shastri Pact: It is the agreement signed between the Prime Ministers of India and Sri Lanka to determine the future of people of Indian origin in Ceylon.
• Relations with Burma: Shastri ji visited Rangoon in 1965 which restored the cordial relations between the two countries.

Shastri ji died on 11th January 1966 in Tashkent soon after signing the Tashkent Agreement. The official reason for his death has been given as the heart attack. However, there are many controversies surrounding his death. In 1977, Raj Narain Committee was constituted to investigate the death of Shastri ji but its report has not been made public till date. Shastri ji’s resting place is called Vijay Ghat situated in Delhi. His death anniversary is also celebrated as National Integrity Day in India.

Despite the short tenure of Shastri ji as the Prime Minister of India, there are many significant contributions from him. He is remembered for his honesty, integrity and contributions towards the welfare of Indian citizens. He is also called the ‘ The man of Peace’. The IAS training institute in Mussoorie is named in honour of him- Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA).