The date 2nd October will instantly ring a bell in people who possess an obsessive enthusiasm for our motherland. And, it is the way it should have been because it’s day when India’s greatest statesman Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri was born. Lal Bahadur Shastri, who later grew up to become the second Prime Minister of India, was born in Uttar Pradesh’s Mughalsarai town.
Here are some of the most interesting facts about the great personality, who has been posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna:
He was a believer of equality and considered caste system a social evil that creates divide. Therefore, Lal Bahadur Shastri gave up his family name at an early age. It was only after joining the Kashi Vidyapeeth and after getting a degree in Philosophy, he received the epithet ‘Shastri’
Caste system was not the only social evil Lal Bahadur Shastri was fighting against. He also raised his voice against the dowry system and refused to accept anything from his wife’s family at his wedding. It was only after repeated requests from his father-in-law, he took few meters of Khadi cloth as a wedding gift
Taking inspiration from Mohandas Gandhi and Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lal Bahadur Shastri gave up his studies to join the freedom movement in 1921
Being a part of the freedom movement landed up him in jail quite often which is why he had to be on parole of 15 days when his daughter fell sick. He was there with her when she succumbed to the disease. But, without waiting any longer and even after having some parole time at hand, he went back to jail soon after performing his daughter’s last rites
After India’s independence, Govind Ballabh Pant took over as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and he appointed Shastri as the Minister of Police and Transport Control. As the in charge of the transport department, Shastri brought about a meaningful change by appointing women as conductors for the first time. As the in charge of the police department, he replaced the traditional lathis with water jets to put crowds under control. He was also successfully able to control communal riots of 1947
When Shastri was completing his term in prison, his wife received a pension of Rs. 50 every month. Once, when his wife visited him in the jail and told him that she was able to save Rs. 10 from the pension, he got annoyed and asked the Servants of People’s Society to cut down his pension and give that Rs. 10 to someone needy family
When his son received an undue promotion at his job, it irked Lal Bahadur Shastri and he immediately released an order to reverse the promotion
A man with high self-esteem and morals, Shastri did not own a car even after becoming the Prime Minister of India. After pestering from family members, Shastri finally asked his secretary to find out the price of a Fiat car. The cost turned out to be Rs. 12,000 and Shastri was short of Rs. 5000. As a result, he applied for a car loan which was sanctioned to him in a jiffy. The bank officer was immediately summoned and inquired whether the bank was equally swift in sanctioning of loans to other customers also
It’s evident how important principles were to Lal Bahadur Shastri, he always followed the right and wasn’t slightly biased even to his family. We thank him for his actions that shaped the future of India. This exceptional scholar and leader must be remembered dearly by the nation for his efforts and just nature.
Some more information about the Visionary:
Lal Bahadur Shastri’s birth anniversary coincides with Mahatma Gandhi’s birth by whom he was deeply influenced.
His father was a school teacher who passed away when he was just a year and a half old. After the father’s demise, his mother settled at her father’s house with three kids.
He joined his uncle in Varanasi so that he could go to high school. Nanhe, or ‘little one’ as he was called at home used to walk miles to reach school without shoes.
He studied in Kashi Vidya Peeth in Varanasi, one of the many national institutions set up in defiance of the British rule. There, the young leader came under the influence of the greatest intellectuals, and nationalists of the country.
The word ‘Shastri’ in his name was the bachelor’s degree awarded to him by the Vidya Peeth but it got stuck in the minds of the people as part of his name.
At the time of freedom struggle, he led several campaigns and spent a total of seven-year in British jails.
Lal Bahadur Shastri got married to Lalita Devi in 1927.
After the Congress Government was formed in 1946, the young man was being invited to play a constructive role in the governance. The party appointed him Parliamentary Secretary in the State of Uttar Pradesh and soon rose to the position of Home Minister.
He shifted to New Delhi in 1951 and held several portfolios in the Union Cabinet – Minister for Railways; Minister for Transport and Communications; Minister for Commerce and Industry; Home Minister; and during Nehru’s illness Minister without portfolio.
He promoted the White Revolution – a national campaign to increase the production and supply of milk – by supporting the Amul milk co-operative of Anand, Gujarat, and creating the National Dairy Development Board.
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