Sep 19, 2009 04:09 PM
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A great revolutionary, bold freedom fighter and a innovative Second Prime Minister of India, Late Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on October 2, 1904 in a middle class poor family at Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh. His father being a poor man always believes in honesty, integrity, hard-work and dedication. Lal Bahadur lost his father in the very early days of his childhood. His mother, Smt. Ramdulari Devi who too was very self dependent lady. She brought up Lal Bahadur with her two daughters at her father's house.
A famous incident during his childhood days was, when he was six years old, one day while returning from school, Lal Bahadur and his friends went to an orchard that was on the way to home. Lal Bahadur Shastri was standing below while his friends climbed the trees to pluck mangoes. Meanwhile, the gardener came and caught hold of Lalbahadur Shastri. He scolded Lal Bahadur Shastri and started beating him. Lal Bahadur Shastri pleaded to gardener to leave him as he was orphan. Taking pity on Lal Bahadur, the gardener said, "Because you are an orphan, it is all the more important that you must learn better behavior." These words left a deep imprint on Lal Bahadur Shastri and he swore to behave better in the future.
Lal Bahadur Shastri has completed his class six at the age of 10 years, thereafter he went to Varanasi for higher studies. In the year 1921, when Mahatma Gandhi launched the non-cooperation movement against British Government, that time he was seventeen years old. When Mahatma Gandhi gave a call to the youth to come out of Government schools and colleges, offices and courts and to sacrifice everything for the sake of freedom, Lal Bahadur came out of his school. Though his mother and relatives advised him not to take part in it, but he was firm to take part in it. Lal Bahadur was arrested during the Non-cooperation movement but as he was too young he was let off. After his release Lal Bahadur joined Kashi Vidya Peeth and for four years he studied philosophy. In 1926, Lal Bahadur earned the degree of "Shastri" After leaving Kashi Vidya Peeth, Lal Bahadur Shastri joined "The Servants of the People Society", which Lala Lajpat Rai had started in 1921. The aim of the Society was to train youths that were prepared to dedicate their lives in the service of the country. In 1927, Lal Bahadur Shastri married Lalitha Devi. The marriage ceremony was very simple and Shastriji took only a charkha(spinning wheel) and few yards of Khadi in dowry.
When, Mahatma Gandhiji gave the call for Civil Disobedience Movement in the year 1930. Lal Bahadur Shastri happily joined the movement and encouraged people not to pay land revenue and taxes to the government. He was arrested and put in jail for two and a half years. In jail Lal Bahadur Shahstri became familiar with the works of western philosophers, revolutionaries and social reformers. After Second World War when Congress launched "Individual Satyagraha" in 1940 to demand freedom. Lal Bahadur Shastri was arrested and released after one year. During Quit India Movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi, on August 8, 1942, Lal Bahadur Shastri took active participation in it for which he was arrested and released on 1945.
He earned the praise of Pandit Govind Vallabh Pant by his hard work during the 1946 provincial elections. Lal Bahadur's had excellent administrative ability and organization skills. In 1952, Jawahar Lal Nehru appointed Lal Bahadur Shastri as the Railways and Transport Minister in the Central Cabinet. Lal Bahadur Shastri's contribution in providing more facilities to travelers in third class compartments cannot be forgotten. He reduced the vast disparity between the first class and third class in the Railways. Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned from Railways in 1956, owning moral responsibility for a railway accident. Jawaharlal Nehru tried to persuade Shastriji but Lal Bahadur Shastri refused to budge from his stand. By his action Lal Bahadur Shastri set new standards of morality in public life. In the next general elections when Congress returned to power, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the Minister for Transport and Communications and later the Minister for Commerce and Industry. He became the Home Minister in 1961, after the death of Govind Vallabh Pant. In the 1962 India-China war Shastriji played a key role in maintaining internal security of the country.
During the death of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, there was a vacuum of a great leader to be Prime Minister of India, at that time Lal Bahadur Shastri was unanimously elected as the Prime Minister of India. That was very difficult time and country was facing shortage of food and internal and external security.Pakistan tried to take advantage of India's situation and attacked India. Lal Bahadur Shastri rose to the occasion and led the country ably. To enthuse soldiers and farmers he coined the slogan of "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan". Pakistan lost the war and Shastriji's leadership was praised all over the world. He started taking one day fast during the time of shortage of food in 1965 to show his gentleness and raising awakeness.
Following the India-Pakistan War of 1965, Lal Bahadur Shastri met in Tashkent, Russia with President Ayub Khan of Pakistan and signed a "no-war" declaration. On the next day on Jan. 11, 1966, India lost this great leader.
