Remembering Lal Bahadur Shastri : the Little Big Man of India

Orissa Review

not see a person of his high achieved independence ideals in the days to come. (1947), he became a minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in the state government of Uttar was born in an ordinary family Pradesh, and he later served in on October 2, 1904, at the federal cabinet as a minister Mughal Sarai in Uttar Pradesh. of transport (1952-1956), His childhood was spent in want industry (1957-1961) and and penury. But, he was a man home affairs (1961-1963). He full of honesty, humanism and resigned from the cabinet straightforwardness. After owning moral responsibility for education at Kashi Vidyapeeth, a railway accident, thus setting he devoted his times to social a rare example for politicians. service under µServants of Shastri became the Prime People Society¶ founded by Minister on the death of Lala Lajpat Rai. Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964. Remembering Shastri held the office for a That was the time period of 582 days, from June Lal Bahadur when the freedom movement 9, 1964 to January 11, 1966. was at its peak. Shastri plunged Shastri : The into freedom struggle. He actively participated in the Civil On June 9, 1964, Lal Bahadur Little Big Man Disobedience Movement of Shastri (1964-1966) 1930. Nehru was so much succeeded Nehru as the of India impressed by the organizational second Prime Minister of India. abilities of Lal Bahadur that In his style of functioning, Lal he appointed him as the Bahadur Shastri was an Siddhartha Dash General Secretary of effective Prime Minister. During Allahabad District Congress his short period he faced Committee in 1930. In 1937 enormous problems but he was he was elected to the remarkably firm yet flexible in Lal Bahadur Shastri is a legislative assembly of United handling them. He delicately towering statesman. He is best Province. During the Quit handled the strained centre- known for his qualities of India Movement of 1942 he state relations, accommodating simplicity, leadership and incurred the displeasure of the the demands of state chief unblemished career. The Great British government and was ministers. He demonstrated Little Son of India is a model imprisoned. He was several remarkable flexibility in for the youth as he has been an times imprisoned by the British agreeing to the indefinite enchanting force to many of our rulers before Independence. At continuation of English nation builders. He was a giant first, he got into UP politics. It alongwith Hindi as the official amongst the generation that was Pt. Nehru who took him language of the country, as fought for freedom. We may to the Centre. When India demanded by southern states.

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He as instrumental in made them feel their The enemy tanks rolled formulating the Green partnership in the government menacingly on. Now Shastri Revolution strategy with the decisions. He preferred pulled off a master-stroke, by purpose of increasing cooperation to confrontation. asking the Indian Army to agricultural output and He gave genuine impression of march into the West Punjab. achieving self sufficiency in food sincerity and seriousness in This at once relieved the in the long run. It was though consultation. At cabinet pressure on Jammu sector and only later, in Indira Gandhi¶s meetings he would ask every took the Indian troops regime, that this strategy was member to express his personal tantalizingly close to the great pursued vigorously. Shastri views. He would listen to them city of Lahore. A ceasefire was also set up his own Prime quietly and attentively as they called, to be followed by a Minister¶s Secretariat, as a were being expressed. As in the peace agreement brokered by source of information and cabinet so in the parliament, the Soviet Premier Aleksee advice to the Prime Minister Shastri maintained all norms of Kosygin, which mandated that on policy matters, independent a democratic system. both sides pull back to the of the ministries. The Within a year of taking positions they had held before Secretariat, which came to be office Shastri had proved August 5, 1965. Shastri agreed known as PMO (Prime himself capable of filling to these unfavourable terms as Minister¶s Office) started Jawaharlal Nehru¶s place. But the other option was the acquiring great deal of influence one who persisted in resumption of the mutually and power in the making and underestimating the little man disastrous war ; that would execution of government was Field Marshal Ayub Khan have also meant losing Soviet policies. The way Shastri acted of Pakistan. He had not been support on the Kashmir issue in combating corruption in power for long when he had in the UN Security Council and through the institution of to attend the difficult matter of in the supply of defence Central Bureau of Paskistani aggression along the equipment, especially Mig Investigation, the way prompt Rann of Kutch in April 1965. planes and medium and heavy follow-up action was taken on Though a ceasefire under the tanks. Shastri¶s conduct during the Das Enquiry Report against auspices of the United Nations the 1965 war made Shastri a Punjab Chief Minister Pratap put a temporary halt to the hero-and justly so. Lal Bahadur Singh Kairon and, above all, fighting, the scene of conflict Shastri died on the night of the way he conducted affairs soon shifted to the more January 10/11, 1966 in the during the days of war against troubled territory of Kashmir. Uzbek city of Tashkent, hours Pakistan revealed that in a very In August 1965, Pakistani- after signing a peace agreement. short time the second Prime backed infiltrators began The war, however, Minister managed to surpass fomenting trouble in the took a huge toll on the state the achievements of his Kashmir valley. When Indian exchequer. Ties with the US, predecessor and mentor army units chased them back which had taken a hit, meant Nehru. He looked upon the over the border, Pakistan that wheat was in short supply. opposition as an important part mounted a massive offence in Shastri hated the idea of going of the democratic set up and the Chamba sector of Jammu. around with a begging bowl.

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So he hit upon a novel idea. highest chair of the biggest motionless with their mouths He went on air to appeal to his democracy of the globe. wide open. countrymen to skip a meal a Shastri never allowed his Lal Bahadur gave the week. The response was children to exploit his name. His nation the slogan of µJai Jawan overwhelming. Even son Anil sought admission to Jai Kishan¶ and exhorted the restaurants and eateries St. Stephen¶s College, New people to make all sacrifices in downed the shutters on Delhi. After getting admission the honour of adversity. More Monday evenings. Many parts he was standing in a long queue than three decades later, A B of the country observe the to deposit his admission fee. Vajpayee added Jai Vigyan to µShastri Vrat´ even today. On The summer season was at its the slogan. Lal Bahadur was October 19, 1965, Shastri peak. He was perspiring and posthumously conferred with gave the seminal µJai Jawan Jai his tongue and throat had the Bharat Ratna award in Kishan¶ slogan at Urwa in become as dry as chalk. As ill 1966. A memorial was set up Allahabad that became a luck would have it, he fell on at Vijay Ghat, Delhi, which shall national religion. the ground and became always remind us about this unconscious. Two students Lal Bahadur Shastri Great Son of India. Now the carried him to the dispensary. enjoyed blotless career UPA Government use the µaam A handful of water was spanning over four decades. aadmi¶ slogan to justify its rule sprinkled on his face. After His honesty has no parallel in in the Centre. But if ever there sometime when he came to his the world history. At the time was someone who epitomized normal self, one of the teachers of his death, he owed a few this philosophy it was the µlittle asked him about his father¶s thousand rupees to the bank big man¶ called Lal Bahadur name and address and from which he had taken a car Shastri. loan on instalment basis. The telephone number, if any . Anil loan was repaid by his widow in a feeble voice gave the name out of her family pension. He and address of his father. All used to sell Khadi cloth from the students and teachers door to door and that too bare present there spoke with one footed and later rose to the voice ³Lal Bahadur Shastri our Siddhartha Dash lives at N-4/205, dizzy heights to occupy the Prime Minister´ and stood IRC Village, Bhubaneswar-751 015.

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