LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI - Former Prime minister of India
Born: 2 October 1904, Mughalsarai in a Kayastha Hindu family.
Died: 11 January 1966,(aged 61) Tashkent, Uzbekistan .
Work : He was a freedom figther, social worker, politician, minister of railways , minister of communication , and later home minister and finally become a second Prime minister of India .
Spouse : Lalita Shastri
Children : Anil Shastri, Sunil Shastri, Hari Krishna Shastri, Suman Shastri, Ashok Shastri, Kusum Shastri
Awards : Bharat Ratna (posthumously, after died).
Early Childhood :
Lal Bahahdur Shastri was born in 2 october 1904 at Sharada Prasad Srivastava and Ramdulari Devi in Mughalsarai . Sharada Prasad Srivastava, was a school teacher at local school who later became a clerk in the revenue office at Allahabad, while his mother, Ramdulari Devi, was the daughter of Munshi Hazari Lal, the headmaster and English teacher at a railway school in Mughalsarai. Shastri was the second child and eldest son of his parents; he had an elder sister, Kailashi Devi.
Shastri was barely a year and a half his father passed away due to bubonic plague. Growing up without a father forced Lal Bahadur to accept responsibility at an early age . He was sent by his uncle to varanasi to pursue his studies.
Fight for freedom :
After a short stay with family that treated him unkindly , Lal Bahadur shastri stayed with a teacher, named Nishkameshwar Prasad Mishra, who gave Shastri much-needed financial support by allowing him to tutor his children. Mishraji often sat and told stories about how india lost freedomto the british to young Lal Bahadur . These conversations later inspired Lal Bahadur to join the struggle for Indian freedom .
At about this time Gandhiji came to varanasi and spoke of his non - cooperation movement. Lal Bahadur took keen interest in the growing movement and when the time came to boycott the schools , he did so by not appearing for his 10th standard examination . With just one year left for his graduation , the news was not taken well as home . neither his Uncle nor Mishraji support lal Bahadur's action , but his mother who had complete faith in him , supported his decision as long as he promised not to renge from the tasklater. with his mother's blessing he become fully involved in the Non - cooperation movement . He was arrested for taking part in banned procession but released since it was his offense . He worked during the evening in a khadi shop and studied while studying for the degree of Shastri (bachrlor) in philosophy . lal Bahadur graduated at the head of his class.
He then went on to do social work among the Harijians under Gandhi's direction at Muzaffarpur. , workingto make their lives better. two years later he married Lalita Devi . he and Lalita Devi moved to Allahabad where he served as secretary of the district congress committee. he attended the 1929 Lahore session of the congress , and actively spoke against the British Raj and for "purna sawaraj" .
he was arrested , a few day later . during his stay in jail his wife gave birth to their first child Kusum .
In 1928 Shastri became an active and mature member of the Indian National Congress at the call of Mahatma Gandhi. He was imprisoned for two and a half years. Later, he worked as the Organizing Secretary of the Parliamentary Board of U.P. in 1937. In 1940, he was sent to prison for one year, for offering individual Satyagraha support to the independence movement.
On 8 August 1942, Mahatma Gandhi issued the Quit India speech at Gowalia Tank in Bombay, demanding that the British leave India. Shastri, who had just then come out after a year in prison, travelled to Allahabad. For a week, he sent instructions to the independence activists from Jawaharlal Nehru's home, Anand Bhavan. He served as a elected representative for United Provinces in 1937 and 1946.
Political Career :
On August 15 , 1947 India gained independence. Lal Bahadur was appointed Minister of Police in Nehru's cabinet.
In 1951 Jawaharlal Nehru was re - elected Prime minister for second term, and Lal Bahadur was appointed General Secrtary of the Lok Sabha . While in Nehru's cabinet , Lal Bahadur was entrusted with portfolios for minister of Railways, Minister of Communications and Later home minister. he served as Nehru's right hand .
On May 27, 1964 Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru died . May of that year Lal Bahadur Shastri became India's second prime minister on June 9 , 1964 to January 11, 1966. His term is best Known for introducing measures to make India Self - sufficient in food production. Shastri continued Nehru's socialist economic policies with central planning. 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. His government passed the National Agricultural Products Board Act and was responsible for setting up the Food Corporation of India under the Food Corporation's Act 1964.
On 19 October 1965, Shastri gave the seminal 'Jai Jawan Jai Kishan' ("Hail the soldier, Hail the farmer") slogan at Urwa in Allahabad that became a national slogan during the war with Pakistan.
War with Pakistan :
In 1965 Pakistan attacked India on the Kashmiri front and Lal Bahadur Shastri responded in kind by punching towards Lahore . In 1966 a cease - fire was issued as a result of International pressure . Lal Bahadur Shastri went to Tashkent to hold talks with Ayub Khan and an agreement was soon signed.
Death :
lal Bahadur passed away in Tashkent before returning home on January 11 , 1966 . He was posthumously conferred with the Bharat Ratan Award
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