Lal Bahadur Shastri, the 2nd Prime Minister of Free India was born on was born on October 2, 1904 at Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh to Sharada Prasad and Ramdulari Devi. Lal Bahadur's surname was Srivastava but he dropped it as he did not want to indicate his caste. His father was a school teacher and later on he became a clerk in the Revenue Office at Allahabad. Lal Bahadur lost his father when he was only one year old and was brought up by his mother Ramdulari Devi.
Lal Bahadur stayed at his grandfather's house until the age of ten and after he had passed the sixth standard examination, hee went to Varanasi for higher studies. In the year 1921 Mahatma Gandhi launched the non-cooperation movement against British Government, when he was only 17 years old. Mahatma Gandhi gave a call to the youth to come out of schools, colleges, offices and courts and sacrifice everything for the sake of freedom of the motherland. Lal Bahadur came out of his school and joined the movement, despite of his mother and relatives advising him not to do so. He was determined and lived by his decision. He was arrested during the Non-cooperation movement but owing to his young age, he was released.
Lal Bahadur joined Kashi Vidya Peeth after he was released and there he studied Philosophy for four years. In the year 1926, he earned the degree of "Shastri". After leaving Kashi Vidya Peeth, he Shastri joined "The Servants of the People Society", which was started by Lala Lajpat Rai in 1921. The aim of the Society was to train those youths who were prepared for dedicating their lives for the service of the nation. In the year 1927, Lal Bahadur Shastri married Lalitha Devi and as the custom of dowry was prevalent, he took only a charkha (spinning wheel) and few yards of Khadi as dowry.
In the year 1930, Gandhiji gave the call for Civil Disobedience Movement and Lal Bahadur Shastri not only joined the movement but also motivated the people not to pay land revenue and taxes to the government. He was arrested and put in jail for two and a half years. There became familiar with the works of western philosophers, revolutionaries and social reformers. He had great self respect and once during his imprisonment, one of his daughters fell seriously ill and owing to this reason, the officers agreed to release him for a short time on the condition that he should agree in writing not to take part in the freedom 'movement during this period. Lal Bahadur did not wish to participate in the freedom movement during his temporary release from prison; but he said that he would not give it in writing. He thought that it was against his self-respect.
In 1939, after the Second World War started, Congress launched "Individual Satyagraha" in 1940 to demand freedom. Lal Bahadur Shastri was again arrested during the Individual Satyagraha and released after a year. On August 8, 1942, Gandhiji gave the call for Quit India Movement and Lal Bahadur actively participated in it and had to go underground but was later arrested. Lal Bahadur Shastri was released in 1945 along with other major leaders of the freedom movement. He earned the praise of Pandit Govind Vallabh Pant by his hard work during the 1946 provincial elections. Lal Bahadur's administrative ability and organization skills came to the fore during this time and when Govind Vallabh Pant became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, he appointed Lal Bahadur Shastri as his Parliamentary Secretary. In the year 1947, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the Minister of Police and Transport in Pant's Cabinet.
Lal Bahadur Sastri was the General Secretary of the Congress Party when the first general elections were held after India became Republic and the Party returned to power with a huge majority. In 1952, Jawahar Lal Nehru appointed Lal Bahadur Shastri as the Railways and Transport Minister in the Central Cabinet. His contribution in providing more facilities to travellers in third class compartments cannot was remarkable. He reduced the vast disparity between the first class and third class in the Railways. In 1956, he resigned from Railways in 1956, owning moral responsibility for a railway accident. Jawaharlal Nehru tried to persuade him but he refused to budge from his stand. By his action Lal Bahadur Shastri set new standards of morality in public life.
In the next general elections when Congress returned to power, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the Minister for Transport and Communications and later the Minister for Commerce and Industry. He became the Home Minister in 1961, after the death of Govind Vallabh Pant. In the 1962 India-China war he played a major role in maintaining internal security of the country.
After the death of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, Lal Bahadur Shastri was unanimously elected as the Prime Minister of India. It was a difficult time for India as the nation was facing huge challenges. In 1965, Pakistan tried to take advantage of India's vulnerability and attacked India. Mild-mannered Lal Bahadur Shastri rose to the occasion and led the country ably. To encourage soldiers and farmers he coined the slogan of "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan". Pakistan lost the war and his leadership was praised all over the world.
In January 1966, to broker peace between India and Pakistan, Russia mediated a meeting between Lal Bahadur Shastri and Ayub Khan in Tashkent, Russia. India and Pakistan signed the joint declaration under Russian mediation. Under the treaty India agreed to return to Pakistan all the territories occupied by it during the war. The joint declaration was signed on January 10, 1966 and Lal Bahadur Shastri died of heart attack on the same night.
Birth : October 2, 1904
Death : January 10, 1966
Lal Bahadur stayed at his grandfather's house until the age of ten and after he had passed the sixth standard examination, hee went to Varanasi for higher studies. In the year 1921 Mahatma Gandhi launched the non-cooperation movement against British Government, when he was only 17 years old. Mahatma Gandhi gave a call to the youth to come out of schools, colleges, offices and courts and sacrifice everything for the sake of freedom of the motherland. Lal Bahadur came out of his school and joined the movement, despite of his mother and relatives advising him not to do so. He was determined and lived by his decision. He was arrested during the Non-cooperation movement but owing to his young age, he was released.
Lal Bahadur joined Kashi Vidya Peeth after he was released and there he studied Philosophy for four years. In the year 1926, he earned the degree of "Shastri". After leaving Kashi Vidya Peeth, he Shastri joined "The Servants of the People Society", which was started by Lala Lajpat Rai in 1921. The aim of the Society was to train those youths who were prepared for dedicating their lives for the service of the nation. In the year 1927, Lal Bahadur Shastri married Lalitha Devi and as the custom of dowry was prevalent, he took only a charkha (spinning wheel) and few yards of Khadi as dowry.
In the year 1930, Gandhiji gave the call for Civil Disobedience Movement and Lal Bahadur Shastri not only joined the movement but also motivated the people not to pay land revenue and taxes to the government. He was arrested and put in jail for two and a half years. There became familiar with the works of western philosophers, revolutionaries and social reformers. He had great self respect and once during his imprisonment, one of his daughters fell seriously ill and owing to this reason, the officers agreed to release him for a short time on the condition that he should agree in writing not to take part in the freedom 'movement during this period. Lal Bahadur did not wish to participate in the freedom movement during his temporary release from prison; but he said that he would not give it in writing. He thought that it was against his self-respect.
In 1939, after the Second World War started, Congress launched "Individual Satyagraha" in 1940 to demand freedom. Lal Bahadur Shastri was again arrested during the Individual Satyagraha and released after a year. On August 8, 1942, Gandhiji gave the call for Quit India Movement and Lal Bahadur actively participated in it and had to go underground but was later arrested. Lal Bahadur Shastri was released in 1945 along with other major leaders of the freedom movement. He earned the praise of Pandit Govind Vallabh Pant by his hard work during the 1946 provincial elections. Lal Bahadur's administrative ability and organization skills came to the fore during this time and when Govind Vallabh Pant became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, he appointed Lal Bahadur Shastri as his Parliamentary Secretary. In the year 1947, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the Minister of Police and Transport in Pant's Cabinet.
Lal Bahadur Sastri was the General Secretary of the Congress Party when the first general elections were held after India became Republic and the Party returned to power with a huge majority. In 1952, Jawahar Lal Nehru appointed Lal Bahadur Shastri as the Railways and Transport Minister in the Central Cabinet. His contribution in providing more facilities to travellers in third class compartments cannot was remarkable. He reduced the vast disparity between the first class and third class in the Railways. In 1956, he resigned from Railways in 1956, owning moral responsibility for a railway accident. Jawaharlal Nehru tried to persuade him but he refused to budge from his stand. By his action Lal Bahadur Shastri set new standards of morality in public life.
In the next general elections when Congress returned to power, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the Minister for Transport and Communications and later the Minister for Commerce and Industry. He became the Home Minister in 1961, after the death of Govind Vallabh Pant. In the 1962 India-China war he played a major role in maintaining internal security of the country.
After the death of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, Lal Bahadur Shastri was unanimously elected as the Prime Minister of India. It was a difficult time for India as the nation was facing huge challenges. In 1965, Pakistan tried to take advantage of India's vulnerability and attacked India. Mild-mannered Lal Bahadur Shastri rose to the occasion and led the country ably. To encourage soldiers and farmers he coined the slogan of "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan". Pakistan lost the war and his leadership was praised all over the world.
In January 1966, to broker peace between India and Pakistan, Russia mediated a meeting between Lal Bahadur Shastri and Ayub Khan in Tashkent, Russia. India and Pakistan signed the joint declaration under Russian mediation. Under the treaty India agreed to return to Pakistan all the territories occupied by it during the war. The joint declaration was signed on January 10, 1966 and Lal Bahadur Shastri died of heart attack on the same night.
Birth : October 2, 1904
Death : January 10, 1966