LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI
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Lal Bahadur was born in Moghalsarai, which is also spelt as Mughalsarai, on October 2, 1904. lal bhadur shastri parents named were Sharada Prasad and Ramdulari Devi. Though his parents were Srivastavas, Shastri dropped his caste identity in his early years. His father died when he was only a year old. His mother with the help of her father took care of the children.
He acquired virtues like boldness, love of adventure, patience, self-control courtesy, and selflessness in his childhood.
He abandoned his studies to take part in the Non-Cooperation movement started by Gandhi in 1921. He was given the title 'Shastri at Kashi Vidyapeeth in 1926. During his four years' stay there, he was very much influenced by the lectures of Dr. Bhagawandas on philosophy. In his later life, Shastri displayed poise in the midst of conflict and confusion which he learnt from his teacher Bhagawandas.
After coming out from Kashi Vidyapeeth, he became the life-member of The Servants of the People Society which was started by Lala Lajpat Rai in 1921 The aim of the society was to train youth who were prepared to dedicate their lives to the service of the country. Shastri earned the love and affection of Lajpat Rai by his earnestness and hard work. Later, he became the President of the society In 1927, he married Lalitha Devi who was from Mirzapur.
Lal Bahadur Shastri took a leading role in 'Salt Satyagraha' which was intensified by 1930. He also advised people not to pay land revenue and taxes to the British government. He was sent to prison for two and half years for doing so. From this time onwards, prison became his second home. He was sent to prison seven times and was forced to spend nine long years in various prisons on different occasions.
Going to prison became a blessing in disguise for him. He spent time reading a number of books. He became familiar with the works of western philosophers. revolutionaries, and social reformers. Shastri translated the autobiography of Madam Curie, a French scientist who discovered Radium, into Hindi. He was an ideal prisoner. The greatness of Shastri was that he maintained his self-respect even in prison.
After Independence, he became the Minister of Police in the ministry of Govind Vallabh Panth. In 1951, he was appointed as the General Secretary of. Lok Sebha before gaining a ministerial post as Railway Minister He resigned following 3 rail disaster near Ariyalur. He returned to the Cabinet following the general elections, first as Minister of Transport. and then in 1961, he became the Home Minister.
Nehru died in office on May 27, 1964, and left something of a vacuum Though eclipsed by such stalwarts of the Congress Party as Karnaraj, and Mortar Diesel, the Finance Minister in Nehru's government, Shastri emerged as the consensus candidate in the midst of the party warfare. The ruling Congress Party unanimously elected Shastri as its leader. He became the Prime Minister on June e 1964 at a very crucial time in the Indian history.
The first problem he had to face after becoming the Prime Minister we hone caused by Pakistan. After the Chinese aggression, when India's confidence in her strength had been shaken, Pakistan was creating trouble along the borders But Shastriji would not yield to the wickedness of Pakistan. He first tried to eas the goodwill and support from the other nations for India, He attended a seminar of the non-aligned nations and explained India's position.
Pakistan was awaiting to swallow Kashmir into its territory. She pushed her forces across the eastern border into the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat in 1965. Shastri faced the problem with great tact. But later there was a large-scale invasion of the territory by Pakistani soldiers which led to the break out of war along the ceasefire line on the Kashmir border. Addressing the nation on August 13, 1965, Shastri referred to Pakistan's threats and said, "Force will be met with force".
Some big nations feared that if India won a total victory over Pakistan, would lower their prestige. The Security Council of the United Nations Organisation called on India and Pakistan to stop fighting On the invitation of Kosygin, the Premier of Soviet Russia, Shastri and Ayub Khan met in Tashkent on January 4, 1966. Shastri wished to give one more chance to Pakistan to live in peace and friendship with India. So he signed the treaty of friendship.
Shastriji had suffered heart attacks twice before and during the period of the Pakistan war and the following days, his body had to bear a very heavy strain He signed the Joint Declaration on January 10, 1966, and died the same night. Gone was the war hero and the messenger of peace, gone was the great statesman who restored to India her honour and self-respect in the assembly of nations. A tiny, tidy figure. A soul that had lived in perfect purity of thought, word, and deed. Such was this man who had lived in our midst. He belonged to the race of heroes of India.
He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna and a memorial was built for him in Delhi. The slogan, Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan is attributed to Shastri. He was a star of great brightness in the history of India.
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