Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti 2022: Special things about the highly disciplined 2nd PM of India

Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti 2022: The man who succeeded Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri was respected for his forthrightness and honesty, and after his passing, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna, making him the first posthumous laureate of this prestigious award. October 2nd marks the birth anniversary of India's second prime minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, who was born on this day, 1904, in Uttar Pradesh's Mughalsarai. 

Shastri has the same birthday (2nd October) as Mahatma Gandhi even though he was born in 1904, 35 years later. He came from a humble background, had high regard for Gandhi, and went on to hold key positions in politics. 

Early Life

After completing his graduation, Lal was awarded the title of "Shastri" as a part of his bachelor's degree by Vidya Peeth. This title stuck with him and his name, thus he was named Lal Bahadur Shastri.

During the late 1920s, Shastriji became an active member of the Indian Independence Movement, in which he joined the non-cooperation movement with full might. Later in 1930, for his participation in the Salt Satyagrah, he was sent to prison by the British government for more than two years and then again in 1942 after Gandhi's Quit India speech. In total, he was in prison for about 9 years which were spent wisely by Shastriji reading books and familiarizing himself with the works of western revolutionaries, social reformers and philosophers.

Political significance

After India achieved independence Lal Bhadur Shastri's exceptional worth was long acknowledged by the then leader of the national movement by the time the Congress took office. 

He was appointed Parliamentary Secretary in his home state of Uttar Pradesh and swiftly rose to the rank of Home Minister. He then moved to New Delhi in 1951 and held several positions in the Union Cabinet, including Minister for Railways, Minister for Transport and Communications, Minister for Commerce and Industry, and Home Minister.

Shastri resigned from his position as minister of railways after taking accountability for a tragic train accident. Then-prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru lauded Lal Bahadur Shastri's moral integrity and lofty principles while discussing the incident in front of Parliament.

Lal Bahadur Shastri took office as India's prime minister on June 9th, 1964. He advocated for the White Revolution, a federal initiative to boost milk production. In order to enhance food production in India, he also supported the Green Revolution and also gave the slogan "Jai Jawan Jai Kisaan".

Lesser known facts about the brief 2nd PM Shastri

- As a dowry for his wedding to Lalita Devi he accepted a Khadi cloth and spinning wheel.

-  He also integrated the idea of the Green Revolution to boost the demand for India's food production.

- Shastri continues to inspire India's farmers and soldiers as he is the man behind the iconic slogan of "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan".

- In the 1920s he joined the freedom movement and served as a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress.

- During the White Revolution, he created the National Dairy Development Board and supported the Amul milk cooperative based in Anand, Gujarat.

- He signed Tashkent Declaration on 10 January 1966 with Pakistan President, Muhammad Ayub Khan to end the 1965 war.

- A highly disciplined and humble person with high self-esteem and morals. He did not even own a car after becoming the country's Prime Minister.

Lal Bahadur Shastri died due to a heart attack on 11 January 1966 but his legacy continues to thrive. A humble, tolerant leader with great inner strength who understood the language of the common man is and will always be the Man of Peace.