Lal Bahadur Shastri

stories Great Indian Personalities

India's second Prime Minister, he assumed office at a time of turmoil in the country. Pandit Nehru had
just expired and Pakistan's hostility towards the Indians led to a war in 1965. The country was under
heavy pressure due to drought and other internal problems. Quite a tough task for a new Prime Minister
to handle.
But as he had been tempered by the freedom struggle and had served in Nehru's cabinet, he took it all
in his stride.

His Role In The Freedom Struggle

At the age of 17, he was very impressed with Gandhiji's call for freedom through non - violence and so
took part in the Non - co-operation Movement of 1921. He courted arrest but was let off because of his
age. But he was not so lucky when he followed Gandhiji in the Satyagraha Movement and spent
approximately 8 years in jail over a period of time. Even though he was made to undergo tremendous
hardships, he survived with the help of his prayers and physical exercises. He spent this time reading
different authors like Hegel, Kant, Marx, Russell and Lenin. He also did some translations and wrote
about the Quit India Movement.

Post Independence
He served the Congress in various positions before becoming Prime Minister. He was First General
Secretary, and then Home-Minister. In U.P. he made some progressive reforms in the police
department, and in 1962, Pandit Nehru invited him to join the Union cabinet as a Minister for railways.
A post from which he resigned after taking responsibility for a railway mishap, that happened during
his tenure.
Lal Bahadur Shastri showed remarkable abilities of oratorship and courage during the Indo - Pakistan
War. He inspired his people through his leadership and offered them a slogan that has been passed
down the ages - 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan'. The Indo - Pak war would have continued, but fortunately, the
Russian Government intervened and both India and Pakistan were forced to sign the 'Tashkent
Agreement' on January 11, 1966. A day that saw the passing away of this great leader, just a few hours
after signing this historic agreement.
He was awarded the 'Bharat Ratna' posthumously, in light of the services rendered to the country. His
memorial 'Vijayghat' in delhi is a constant reminder of a great administrator and a fantastic human
being.
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