Lal Bahadur Shastri

It has been rightly said that success cannot be gauged by achievements but by the difficulties that are overcame during the course of success. Lal Bahadur Shastri is one of those great leaders who had been facing and overcoming difficulties right from his childhood. He was born on 2nd October 1904 in Mughalsarai, Varanasi. His father Sharda prasad was a man of very limited means.

After receiving primary education at Mughal Sarai, he went to Varanasi and joined Harish Chander High School. He was hardworking, honest and brilliant student. He was instilled with patriotic feelings right from his childhood. Physically, he had short stature, slim and lean. However, he never lacked in inner strength as he had firm determination and will.

After finishing his education, he turned his attention towards social service. As a social worker, he tried to rid society from the evils of untouchability. Soon he became popular for his hard work, honesty and dedication. In the meantime, he married to Lalita Devi at the age 24 years.

As he offered Satyagraha, he was sentenced to imprisonment many times. He had to spend almost eight years in imprisonment. During this period, he faced many hardships and scarcities. He was a staunch Satyagrahi having firm faith in non-violence. He observed his daily routine of prayers and physical exercises during his imprisonment. He utilized the forced leisure during his imprisonment for studying different authors like Kant, Russell, Karl Marx and Lenin. He also devoted his time to write about Quit India Movement.

He shouldered different responsibilities such as General Secretary of the Congress, Union Home Minister and later on as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of India. He made a lot of improvement in his departments and won popularity. As Prime Minister, he had to face a multitude of problems. In fact, he assumed the office of Prime Minister immediately after the death of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. Pakistan adopted a hostile attitude towards India, which resulted in a war in 1965. Such situation was a bed of thorns for him.

During the war, Shastriji showed rare quality of courage and determination. He also demonstrated that he possessed remarkable qualities of leadership. His speeches during the war inspired people of India. He gave a slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kissan’.

On 11th January 1966, he died due to massive heart attack. The tragic news of his death at Tashkant spread like a wild fire. Shastriji was truly a great patriot who gave less importance to himself and more to his country.