About Lal Bahadur Shastri
The 11th of January is the death anniversary of popular national freedom fighter, Lal Bahadur Shastri. Over many years, his death has been speculated to a list of controversies and conspiracy theories.
Born on the 2nd of October in the year 1904 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, Lal Bahadur Shastri was a prominent political leader, who went on to become the second prime minister of independent India, after Jawaharlal Nehru’s tenure was over.
It was Nehru’s daughter Indira Gandhi who was first asked to take the position of the PM after Nehru’s demise, however, when she declined, it was Lal Bahadur Shastri who took charge and became the second PM of India.
A vital member of the Indian National Congress, Shastri was an ardent leader in the nationalistic movements of the country to fight against the British.
A believer of Gandhi’s philosophies and ideologies, he first served as the Railways Minister of the country, before taking over as the Home Minister.
He made endless contribution in shaping the future of the external affairs of the nation. At the age of only 17, he went to jail for his active participation in Mahatma Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement, but he was left out from the same due to being a minor.
He later participated in the Salt March and for that, he was jailed for over two years. Interestingly, when he became the Minister of Police, he first introduced the concept of spraying jet waters in order to disperse the crowds instead of the violent mode of lathi charge.
He became immensely popular after coining the slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan” and distinctly led the country during the most crucial times of the India-Pakistan war in the year 1965.
During his tenure as the prime minister of India, he was focused on Nehru’s objectives and worked towards the widespread of white revolution—which was the increase in supply and the production of milk in the country.
This objective led to the creation of the National Dairy Development Board.
The government of India honored him with the Bharat Ratna Award in the year 1966.