Ajit Singh Nagra
Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on Oct. 2, 1904 in a Kayastha family at Mughal Sarai near Benaras [Varanasi]. His birth falls on the same date as that of Mahatama Gandhi. His father Sarada Prasad Srivastava was a poor teacher who became a clerk in the Revenue Deptt. at Allahabad. He died when Lal Bahadur was only a year and a half old, leaving his wife Ram Dulari – a Widow helpless with three children. Lal Bahadur’s pet name was Nanhe. Once his mother went to Kumb Mela at Allahabad and Nanhe slipped from his mother’s arms and fell into a Cow herd’s basket. After a long search, Nanhe was restored to his mother. After the death of her husband, Ram Dulari came to the house of her father Hazari Lal. At the age of 10, Lal Bahadur passed 6th class and he was 5 feet tall. He had to walk 12 to 15 miles daily to and from his school because he could not afford to buy a bicycle. After 6th class he joined Harishchandra High School at Banaras and lived with his uncle Raghunath who groomed him. His early life was hard and he used to have only single meal a day. Arithmetic was his weak point and his English was good. In 1921, he joined Kashi Vidyapeeth at Banaras and in 1926 he obtained the degree of Shastri in philosophy in the 1st division.
In 1927, Lal Bahadur was married to Lalita Devi who came from Mirzapur. He refused to accept any dowry except Charkhah- wooden Spinning wheel a few yards of hand woven cloth. His wife became atrue companion in his weals and woes. Lal Bahadur came into contact with Pt. Nehru and plunged into the vortex of national Freedom struggle. He was jailed and he exercised yoga and found time to write a book on the Life story of Marie Curie in Naini jail. During his jail -term his daughter died but he bore the loss with fortitude. He became a Minister for Home and Transport in U. P, Govt. and declined to air -Condition his residence. He weeded out communal elements in the Police Deptt.
In 1952 Pt. Nehru made him Union Minister for Railways and Transport. He reformed the Railways by providing Security, meals and reservation of sleeping berths in third class. In an accident at Mehboob Nagar in 1956,112 passengers died and at Ariyalur the death toll rose to 144 and he resigned out of moral responsibility. He visited Nepal in 1960 and polished good relations with our neighbours. He also solved many knotty national problems with his keenness in Punjab, as Master Tara Singh started a fast unto death for a separate Sikh State and Shastriji dealt with it peacefully. In Kashmir an ugly situation occurred when a sacred relic – the Prophet s, hair was stolen from Hazartbal Mosque on Dec. 26 ,1963 and it was restored secretly on Jan. 4, 1964 and Shastriji appointed 15 Muslim Divines and the matter got subsided..
After the death of Pt. Nehru on 27th May 1964, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the Prime Minister in June 1964 and he gave priorities to the defense of the country fighting poverty, unemployment and national integration. He tackled the food problem by opening fair price shops in the country. He gave the slogan of Jai Kissan and Jai Jawan. He asked his countrymen to fast on Monday to grapple with the problem of food- shortage. In 1965, Pakistan sent Infiltrators across the border and India captured Hazi Pir Pass. On Sept.1, 1965 Pakistan attacked Chhamb with Patton tanks and Sabre jets. The Indian Army penetrated deep into Pakistan upto Lahore and Sialkot and Pakistan had fear of her extinction by India. U, Thant the Secretary of U.N. O. and the Security Council demanded cease fire and it got effected on Sept. 1, 1965 after the conflict of 22 days. India came out victorious. The Russian Premier Kosygin summoned Lal Bahadur and Ayub Khan of Pakistan at Tashkand – the Uzbek capital in Soviet Russia. Both countries agreed to withdraw their forces by Feb. 25, 1966 to their original positions that they held on Aug. 5, 1965. Tashkand declaration was signed on Jan. 10, 1966 and Lal Bahadur Shastri died in Tashkand on Jan. 11, 1966 and his dead body was brought to India and cremated in Vijayghat Delhi.
Shastri ji travelled light on the journey of life. He never dragged along a heavy load of worldly goods and comforts with him. He was never in a hurry and never pushed or jostled anyone in his path. His feet never faltered and they were firmly planted. He sat lightly in every seat of office without an iota of pride. He rose from a very humble position and the high position of the office could not swell his head with pride and arrogance. His small stature with high ideals, meek appearance and selfless devotion endeared him to all. Once he said Don’t compare with officers. They are rulers and I am only a servant of the Public.
(The author is Retd Principal)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel