Dr Sudershan Kumar
As we commemorate the 120th birth anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri, the second Prime Minister of India, also known as the “man of peace”, we remember a leader, who embodied humility, moral fortitude and unwavering dedication to the nation.
A man of courage, discipline, principles, he was born on 2nd October 1904. Shastri had a difficult childhood but rose from this humble beginning to become India’s second Prime Minister. He was a proud and devout Indian and through his utmost skill, firm diplomacy and complete dedication to the nation he navigated the country through the many difficult challenges of that time.
His outstanding leadership steered the country through those menaces like food security, economic instability and preservation of sovereignty of the country. As we pay homage to the most humble prime minister, we need to turn the pages of history. Post Independence a herculean challenge of feeding the people of the villages alongside sustenance of the economic growth, stood infront of him. Those who were at the helm of affairs at that time chose a path of mixed frame economy, that is to cater to the needs of poor and also simultaneous growth of state owned heavy industry. They relied on the USA Government’s policy framed for food supply through Public Law 480(PL-480) against the rupee payment. Under this scheme USA was supplying India the surplus food grain in rupee payment against the equivalent dollar. The money was to be deposited in US Embassy in Delhi. Later on this turned out to be a big mistake when USA, due to some political hiccups, suspended the wheat supply to India on temporary basis at a time when the country was facing consecutive droughts. At that time the then Policy Planners in India realized that Political Freedom is at risk and there is no other choice except to develop own Agriculture. Second biggest challenge was to preserve the sovereignty of the country especially after the India-China war.
The nation had not yet come out of the hangover of the defeat. Moreover, our Western neighbour with an eye on erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir(Now UT of Jammu-Kashmir) was buying the most sophisticated military hardware especially tanks and air crafts from USA. After getting emboldened from the outcome of India-China war of 1962, the then triokia in Pakistan comprising of Field Marshal Ayub Khan President, Zulfi-kar-Ali Bhutto the foreign Minister and General Muhammad Musa the commander in Chief of Pakistan army, were in a state of euphoria undermining India’s political wit. This false hallucination came with superior weaponry through which they thought, they could annex erstwhile princely state from India through Military aggression. Pakistan’s false conviction further was fueled by India’s precarious situation in the sub continent with China’s threat to North and Pakistan’s threat from East and West. So they planned operation Gibraltar to invade India and para dropped around 7000 to 20,000 armed volunteers(Pak. Armymen +trained Civilians) in Jammu and Kashmir to completely paralyze the machinery in the then Jammu and Kashmir state. Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri who had just taken oath as the second Prime Minister of India on June 4 1964 after the demise of Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru through massive heart attack on 27th May 1964, showed exemplary courage, humility, complete dedication towards the nation, high order integrity, strong will power, high order diplomacy and great leadership. He navigated the country from this difficult situation to the extent that India not only won the Indo-Pak war in 1965 but also laid strong foundation for self reliance in agriculture sector through ‘Green Revolution’. Through his strong diplomacy and firmness in dealing with the strategic matters he not only enforced ceasefire between India and Pakistan without any precondition but also was able to convince the Western world to accept the fact that Pakistan is an aggressor. His decision of calculated risk by giving go ahead signal to armed forces to open Western front during war baffled the international Defence experts. His, this decision was “considered as a remarkable landmark decision by the smallest man” termed as an asset for the victory of India against Pakistan. He was also a man of ethics and self discipline who led the country by setting an example. For self reliance in agriculture and Political autonomy, he took bold decisions, which were in the interest of country without worrying for their outcome on himself. He also laid down the strong foundation of self reliance in agriculture sector.
His slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kissan” continues to resonate among Farmers and Soldiers (Jawan). His brief stint as Prime Minister of India from 4th June 1964 to 11 January 1966 is considered as a period in which each and every citizen of country contributed towards nation cause.
Through his exemplary courage and indomitable strength he not only raised the image of India in the eyes of global world but also the world considered him as the man of strong conviction, great statesman, who was committed to nation 24/7. Even his sudden death on 11 January 1966 due to massive heart attack immediately after signing Tashkent agreement is in itself a great mystery. In the open literature and reports, some do speculate that Shastri was poisoned. Actually, what exactly happened on the fateful 11th January 1966 night at Tashkent, a city of the then (USSR) now capital of Uzbekistan) remains buried in sands of time. But one thing is clear that a thin, frail and short stature man, our beloved Lal Bahadur Shastri’s life and leadership offers numerous lessons, that are highly relevant for the younger generation and contemporary politicians of modern era. Here are some of the key take aways that the present day leaders should learn from Shastri:- Simplicity and humanity: Despite holding the highest office in the country, Shastri lived a simple and humble life. He avoided the trapping of power and remained grounded avoiding ostentation and staying connected to masses at grassroot level. Hence the simplicity in life style can help the leaders to maintain credibility and build trust with people. Integrity and Accountability: Present day leaders must take responsibility for their actions and those of their departments upholding the ethical standards and being accountable, this will certainly restore the faith in public institutions.
Focus on Common Man: One must practice the policies that directly benefit the common man especially the most vulnerable section of society. Addressing the issues like poverty, unemployment and education with innovative approach should be the centre to Governance. Leadership Crisis: In the time of crisis, whether, economy, social and military, the present leadership must display calm and decisive leadership. Uniting the nation and providing clear strong guidance is essential in navigating the challenges rather than playing in the hands of disruptive foreign agencies. Promotion Peace and Diplomacy: In the present world it is utmost essential to prioritize diplomatic and peaceful resolution of conflicts both domestic and international. Building bridges through dialogue rather than escalating tensions can lead to more sustainable outcome. Visionary Focus and Self Sufficiency: The present day leaders should focus on the policies that build self sufficiency particularly in the critical areas like energy, agriculture defense and technology. This will reduce the dependence on external sources and will strengthen natural resilience. It will not be out of context to mention here that even now the world is facing numerous challenges. Notable among them are Russia-Ukraine war, Israel- Hamas war, other conflicts in middle east, rise of Fundamentalism, Radicalization, Fanaticism and also the nations in neighbourhood are facing worst economic crisis. Inspite of all odds including Covid -19 pandemic, it is noteworthy to mention that our nation has emerged much stronger under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the last decade, the Indian economy has become the fifth largest in the world. The visionary approach of the present day government and determination to transform India into a developed nation by 2047 is not being digested by our North and West neighbours and other nations around the globe. The strong and stable India with strong foreign policy has become an eye sore to these nations. Hence they are bent upon to demean one of the largest democracy of the world by selling false narratives of events happening insides and out side the country. They are taking the help of all resources available around the globe including the most sophisticated technology. It is unfortunate that some of our leaders for the lust of power have fallen prey to these false narratives. Therefore it is the responsibility of each and every citizen to counter these false narratives using all sort of means including social and print media. The author is of the opinion that on the occasion of 120th birth anniversary of the great son of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri , each and every citizen of this great nation should strive to render selfless service to the nation and also work towards building a strong nation.
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