October 2 marks the birth anniversary of two iconic Indian leaders who played a role in the freedom struggle and the early years of nation-building: the ‘Father of the Nation’ Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri (1904-1966).
- Lal Bahadur Shastri is considered one of those leaders who, if he had lived longer, would have made India a different country. Sardar Vallabbhai Patel is another leader.
Tall Height Does Not Give Lofty Intentions
- During the second week of July 1964, Shastriji was on his way to London. His plane landed in Lahore for refueling, where he was welcomed by Mohammad Ayub Khan.
- Shastriji was not a very tall or heavily built man, while Khan, coming from a military background, stood tall in front of him.
- Later, Ayub Khan asked his aide if this was the man the people of India had chosen to succeed Jawaharlal Nehru. However, during the 1965 war, Shastriji proved that a leader does not need to be tall in stature to lead a country with bravery.
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Context of 1962 War
- India had lost the 1962 war with China, and there was an anti-Hindi movement in Tamil Nadu, creating a sense of chaos in the country. From Pakistan’s perspective, India appeared weak. Pakistan assumed that, just as China had defeated India, it could do the same.
- Beginning: On 1 September Pakistan sent its infiltrators into Akhnoor (near Jammu), assuming that once they secured the area, they could easily capture Rajouri and Poonch as well. Later, Pakistan even sent his army.
- Decisive Leadership:
- The then army chief informed Shastriji that Pakistan had entered Jammu and Kashmir with a strategic plan to incite an uprising in the region.
- The Indian army was under significant pressure at the border, and the chief suggested crossing the International Border in Punjab. After a moment of silence, Shastri approved the plan.
- The army chief cautioned that this decision would lead to a full-fledged war with Pakistan, to which Shastri resolutely responded to proceed.
- This shows decisive leadership especially in comparison to former Prime Minister Nehru who asked not to include the air force in the 1962 war.
- In Lok Sabha we warned Pakistan in 1965 that India shall not ceasefire at Rann of Kutch as it concerns the sovereignty and security of India.
- Indian Army in Lahore: The Indian Army launched an attack across the International Border in Punjab. Shortly after midnight on the intervening night of September 5 and 6, Indian Army troops crossed the International Border at several places in Punjab in an attack which caught the Pakistan Army by surprise in the Lahore sector. The Indian army was able to advance to the outskirts of Lahore.
A Leader with Humility and Integrity
- Great Listener: He would patiently listen and then only take decisive actions. This is the hallmark of democratic leadership.
- Against Caste: He was born as Lal Bahadur Varma. Stating his opposition to caste differences, he told his family he did not wish to keep the surname ‘Varma’. And so, he became known as Lal Bahadur. Shastri’ was added to his name in 1925, after he acquired the degree of ‘Shastri’ (one who knows the Shastras) from the Kashi Vidyapeeth in Benaras.
- Simple Living: According to some accounts, he owned only two kurtas and dhotis.
| Life of Integrity: It is said that when he was the Prime Minister, his family asked him to buy a car. The Fiat car he bought was for Rs 12,000. Since he had only Rs 7,000 in his bank account, he applied for a bank loan of Rs 5,000 from the Punjab National Bank. The car is today kept at the Shastri Memorial in New Delhi. |
- Taking Accountability: After independence, he became the Union Minister for Railways and Transport in 1952. A serious accident occurred in August 1956 at Mehboobnagar of present-day Telangana, in which 112 lives were lost.
- Distressed by the tragedy, Shastri took responsibility for the accident and submitted his resignation to the prime minister. However, PM Nehru did not accept it. But another accident soon took place in November 1956, in Tamil Nadu’s Ariyalur that saw the death of 144 passengers. Shastri resigned again, accepting moral responsibility.
- Nehru said at the time, “No man can wish for a better comrade and better colleague in any undertaking — a man of highest integrity, loyalty, devoted to ideals, a man of conscience and a man of hard work.”
- He set a precedent in Indian Politics. However, the example set by him was not followed by later politicians.
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Contributions as Home Minister and Advocate for Farmers
- Home Minster: Within a year of his resignation, Shastri was back in the Union Cabinet and would go on to take the roles of the Home Minister and the Commerce and Industry Minister. In the former, he helped solve rows over the government’s official language policy. When southern states were apprehensive of Hindi domination, he assured that English would continue as an official language alongside Hindi.
- Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan: Still reeling from the effects of economic stagnation and lack of growth, besides defense – given how India was taken by surprise in the 1962 attack launched by China and Nehur’s death in 1964. India had to focus on its low levels of food production and increasing demand. India was importing grains from the USA under Public Law (PL) 480 agreement and during this time USA had attached tough conditions to the export to India (pressuring India to support USA on Vietnam’s issue)
- It was then that Shastri asked Indians in a radio address in 1965, for the farmer to produce more, the trader to market supplies at fair prices, and the consumer to exercise greater restraint on consumption.
- He reminded the nation that dependence on food imports undermined the country’s self-confidence and self-respect. This is when he gave the nation a new slogan—‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan (Hail the soldier, hail the farmer!)
- Support for Market Economy: Shastriji was a supporter of the free market. The LPG reforms that came to India in 1991 were introduced in China in 1978. If Shastriji would have been alive then LPG reforms might have been introduced in India early on. The next Prime Minister Indira Gandhi focused more on State control over different sectors rather than the market. Under her tenure banks were nationalized which is absolutely opposite of LPG.
- Handling Food Crisis: During the food crisis he introduced new ideas including fixing foodgrain price for producers – known as the minimum support price (MSP) – and setting up a Prices Commission, the body known as the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) now that recommends the MSP.
- Green Revolution: Shastriji is also credited with laying the foundation of the Green Revolution in 1965 by giving political support to the remarkable team of the then agriculture minister C. Subramaniam.
Upholding Highest Morals:
- Lal Bahadur Shastri announced to his family one evening that for the next few days they would all give up on their evening meal. Kal se ek hafte tak sham ko chulha nahin jalega (From tomorrow we would not cook in the evenings for a week),” he said adding that the kids would get only milk and fruits, while the adults would stay hungry.
- It is only after he was sure that his own family could survive without a meal a day that he announced on All India Radio, urging the public to sacrifice one meal at least once a week. For the next few weeks, all restaurants and eateries strictly followed the rule.
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The Tashkent Agreement and His Mysterious Death
- Tashkent Agreement: During the 1965 war, Soviet Premier Aleksey Kosygin invited Shastri and Pakistan President General Ayub Khan to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. It is here that the Tashkent Declaration for fostering long-term peace between the neighbors was signed on 10 January 1966.
- Mysterious Death: However, the next day, Shastri passed away. His death has been surrounded by mysteries and many questions.
October 2, 2024
