Lal Bahadur Shastri : a Messiah of Peace
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Orissa Review * October - 2009 Lal Bahadur Shastri : A Messiah of Peace Manas Ranjan Khuntia Born of humble parents, bereft of any advantage Later he joined Kashi Vidyapith and was of birth, parental position of power, Lal Bahadur conferred with the degree of ³Shastri´ which Shastri rose to the pinnacle of fame and glory means ³ the learned one´. through long years of unostentatious and self-less Shastriji¶s diligence and sincerity in work service. His rise from humble beginnings to the soon won him wide admiration, popularity and height of authority and responsibility is a love. He became intimately manifestation of the deep roots connected with the ³Servants that democracy has taken in of the people's society", and India, where the humblest has was made the President of the equal opportunities with the organization before long. He highest. remained an active member Shastriji was born in a of the society till end of his poor family at Mughal Sarai on days. October 2, 1904. His father, Shastriji married Lalita Sharada Prasad, died in 1906 Devi in 1927. He was such leaving his mother, two an ideal man that he refused daughters and the infant son to accept a single pie towards with almost nothing to live on. dowry. When pressed, He Thus Lal Bahadur began his life under the thick shadow of reluctantly agreed to receive poverty. His uncle however, a spinning wheel and a few took care of him and sent him yards of Khadi that his father- to a school at Varanasi when in-law offered out of he passed his sixth standard from his village school. affection. He was a brilliant student. But when he was only Shastriji¶s dedication to his work was so 16, he left the school to join the Non-Cooperation impressive that he was inducted into Congress Movement started by Gandhiji. He was arrested soon and subsequently in 1952 when Jawaharlal but later let off with a warning. He returned to his Nehru was the Congress President, Shastriji was studies at Harischandra High School in Varanasi. chosen to be its General Secretary. For his part, 24 Orissa Review * October - 2009 in the struggle for emancipation of the country he among the poorest ranks, Shastriji did not forget had to suffer a total of 9 years in prison. He bore his humble past even for a moment and from his those years with his usual calm and stoicism. high position, he glanced again and again towards In free India, Shastriji, being elected in those who struggled for existence in the dark pit the general election, became a member of the U.P. of poverty and shared their weal and woe. He Assembly and then appointed as a Cabinet mirrored the common man¶s desires and Minister of the State. His calibre and capacity, aspirations. Vanity, arrogance, intolerance and honesty and integrity, performance and sense of infallibility were alien to his nature. He perseverance were duly rewarded and from 1952 had the humility and wisdom to accept good onwards, he was chosen, in succession, as a ideas. He was a man of impeccable and Minister in the Central Cabinet for Transport & blemishless character. He had the unmistakable Railways, Transport & Communications, stamp of strong and steady leadership backed Commerce & Home, Minister without portfolio, by the united will of the whole nation±the vision and finally on June 9, 1964, after the death of and capacity to snatch opportunity out of trouble. Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as Prime Minister He was a visionary with a difference. While his of India. He assumed office by consensus and eyes were fixed on the objectives of his dream, ruled by consensus. The transition was smooth± his approach was realistic and down-to-earth a tribute to our genuine and stable democracy. starting with the immediate present and its realities. His rise to the Prime Ministership is a tribute no This pragmatic approach to human and political less to his personality than to the strength of our problems and issues of national interest restored democratic institutions. He appeared to the the country¶s self-confidence, reactivated our will ordinary people of this country of the same stuff to be self-reliant and helped him to reach the zenith as they were made of and they gave him their of power and glory. Jawarhalal Neheru studied willing allegiance and he gave them leadership of Lal Bahadur well. He always regarded him as his a kind which still set the standard for his closest colleague, true friend, philosopher and successors. But he was no ordinary man. Perhaps guide. no one who is able to rise to his high office can As Prime Minister, Shastriji inherited a be. legacy of host of unsolved problems-food Shastriji was a man of noble thoughts and shortage, rising prices, language, the Punjabi his heart bled for the poor. His main concern Sabha, internal dissensions and lastly, the problem throughout his life was to bring about a social order of restoration, on a stable basis, of normal friendly in which the weaker and poorer sections of the relations with neighbours based on the society were assured of a proper place. His was renunciation of force for the settlement of pre-eminently a life of hard work and unremitting international disputes, so that the resources spent toil in the cause of national freedom, first political on senseless fighting could be diverted for the and later economic. His sweet and simple modesty, economic betterment of the masses. deep humility, right judgment, discerning detachment, disinterested devotion to duty, Responsibility brought out the best in extreme considerateness, decisiveness, sensitivity, Shastriji. He proved equal to the challenge, firmness, endurance and above all, quite courage handled all these problems with singular fitness made him the idol of the people. Rising from and consummate skill in circumstances of 25 Orissa Review * October - 2009 unimaginable difficulty. His courage and self- he met. His words were simple, direct and confidence rose higher and higher as the tide of sincere. He was decisive. Diminutive in physical trouble swelled. He steered the country through stature, he was a colossus in the world arena. internal difficulties and external aggression. There never was a good war, or a bad Oversetimating her strength and capacity as peace¶. Shastriji¶s thoughts were akin to Benjamin superior to that of India, Pakistan declared war Franklin. Lal Bahadur was essentially a man of against India foolishly, crossing international peace and a staunch believer in democracy and border in Chhamb area on September 1, 1965 socialism. A believer also in consensus, a patient when Shastriji was the Prime Minister of India. listener and ever prepared for accommodation if But though he was small and diminutive to look it was in the best interest of the country, he did at, he stood bold, firm and determined for not let things drift beyond limit. He had the gift of retaliation. The high inspiring words of Shastriji distinguishing between what is practicable from ³Jay Jawan, Jay Kishan´ worked like the most what is desirable. His prompt decision to accept charming song and it produced miraculous echo throughout the country right from Kashmir to the ceasefire and his quick positive response to Kanyakumari. The Indian Army marched ahead the Soviet Prime Minister Kosygene¶s invitation towards Lahore on September 6 and crossed to meet General Ayub Khan, the President of Jammu-West Pakistan border. Pakistan had to Pakistan at Tashkent were evident of a clear, bow down, retreat and sign a pact at Tashkent decisive and firm mind¶s quest for peace, which on January 10, 1966 through the mediatorship of brought about the historic meet at Tashkent, the Russian leaders. Under Shastriji¶s leadership the historic Tashkent Declaration and his greatest hour country emerged as never before, united and of triumph in the pursuit of peace in Asia and the strong, willing and capable of defending its own world. Without sparing his strength Shastriji did integrity, freedom and sovereignty and also the everything to consolidate peace in Asia, to find cause of freedom and peace the world over. After ways to end the conflict between India and his historic decision on September 6, 1965, to Pakistan and to establish good neighbourly march ahead boldly, he emerged as a national relations between them, displaying astute hero±a leader acclaimed by one and all. He won statesmanship. It was to the solution of this task victory for the Indian Army and added a glorious that his efforts were directed during the Tashkent chapter to the military history of India. He saved meeting with the President of Pakistan, as a result the light of freedom, secularism and democracy of which an agreement was reached as expressed from being extinguished in Asia and other parts in the historic Tashkent Declaration. This was his of the world. last and greatest gift to India, Pakistan and the world. Within his frail and diminutive exterior, he possessed the will and nerve of steel. He stood It was most unfortunate for India that, in unruffled in a crisis. He was not downcast by the great hour of triumph and height of glory in adversity nor carried off his feet by victory. He the pursuit of peace and understanding in Asia had a genius for striking a balance. Starting without and the world and even before the ink in the any experience in international affairs, he bore historic pact-document was dry, Shastriji passed himself with dignity and made a deep impression away on January 11, 1966 at 1.30 AM at by his sincerity and goodness on world leaders Tashkent, Capital of the Soviet Republic of 26 Orissa Review * October - 2009 Uzbekistan.