biography of mahatma gandhi and lal bahadur shastri

• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• Games & Quizzes
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center

• What role did the Indian National Congress play in the Indian independence movement?
• What policies have historically been supported by the Indian National Congress?
• Is the Indian National Congress’s Gandhi family related to Mahatma Gandhi?
• What are the oldest known civilizations of India?
• What are the major holidays and festivals of India?

Lal Bahadur Shastri

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• Cultural India - Lal Bahadur Shastri
• GlobalSecurity.org - Lal Bahadur Shastri
• IndianetZone - Biography of Lal Bahadur Shastri
• MapsofIndia.com - Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri: An Honest and True Leader
• Prime Minister of India - Biography of Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri
• Lal Bahadur Shastri - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

News •

Lal Bahadur Shastri (born October 2, 1904, Mughalsarai, India—died January 11, 1966, Tashkent , Uzbekistan , U.S.S.R.) was an Indian statesman, prime minister of India (1964–66) after Jawaharlal Nehru .

A member of Mahatma Gandhi ’s noncooperation movement against British government in India, he was imprisoned for a short time (1921). Upon release he studied in the Kashi Vidyapitha, a nationalist university, where he graduated with the title of shastri (“learned in the scriptures”). He then returned to politics as a follower of Gandhi, was imprisoned several more times, and attained influential positions in the Congress Party of the state of the United Provinces , now Uttar Pradesh state.

Shastri was elected to the legislature of the United Provinces in 1937 and 1946. After Indian independence, Shastri gained experience as minister for home affairs and transport in Uttar Pradesh. He was elected to the central Indian legislature in 1952 and became union minister for railways and transport. He gained a reputation as a skillful mediator after his appointment to the influential post of minister for home affairs in 1961. Three years later, on Jawaharlal Nehru’s illness, Shastri was appointed minister without portfolio, and after Nehru’s death he became prime minister in June 1964.

Shastri was criticized for failing to deal effectively with India’s economic problems, but he won great popularity for his firmness on the outbreak of hostilities with neighbouring Pakistan (1965) over the disputed Kashmir region. He died of a heart attack after signing a “no-war” agreement with Pres. Ayub Khan of Pakistan and was succeeded as prime minister by Indira Gandhi , Nehru’s daughter.

Lal Bahadur Shastri

Born: 2 October 1904

Place of Birth: Mughalsarai, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Parents: Sharada Prasad Shrivastava (Father) and Ramdulari Devi (Mother)

Wife: Lalita Devi

Children: Kusum, Hari Krishna, Suman, Anil, Sunil and Ashok

Education: Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi

Political Association: Indian National Congress

Movement: Indian Independence Movement

Political Ideology: Nationalist; Liberal; Right-wing

Religious views: Hinduism

Passed Away: 11 January 1966

Memorial: Vijay Ghat, New Delhi

Lal Bahadur Shastri was the second Prime Minister of independent India. He took oath after the sudden demise of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister. Relatively new to the high office, he led the country successfully through Indo-Pakistan War in 1965. He popularized the slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’, recognizing the need for self-sustenance and self-reliance as the pillars to build a strong nation. He was a man of exceptional will power that was belied by his small frail stature and soft-spoken manner. He wished to be remembered by his work rather than well-rehearsed speeches proclaiming lofty promises.

Early Life and Education

Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on October 2, 1904, to Ramdulari Devi and Sharada Prasad Shrivastava, in Mughalsarai, United Provinces (modern day Uttar Pradesh). He shares his birthday with Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation. Lal Bahadur was against the prevailing caste system and therefore decided to drop his surname. The title "Shastri" was given after the completion of his graduation at Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi in 1925. The title "Shastri" refers to a "scholar" or a person, adept in the "Holy Scriptures".

His father Sharada Prasad, a schoolteacher by profession, passed away when Lal Bahadur was barely two years old. His mother Ramdulari Devi took him and his two sisters to their maternal grandfather, HazariLal's house. Lal Bahadur acquired virtues like boldness, love of adventure, patience, self-control, courtesy, and selflessness in his childhood. After completing his primary education at Mirzapur, Lal Bahadur was sent to Varanasi, where he stayed with his maternal uncle. In 1928, Lal Bahadur Shastri married Lalita Devi, the youngest daughter of Ganesh Prasad. He was against the prevailing "dowry system" and so refused to accept dowry. However, on the repeated urging of his father-in-law, he agreed to accept only five yards of khadi (cotton, usually handspun) cloth as dowry. The couple had 6 children.

Political Career

Pre-independence Activism

Young Lal Bahadur, inspired with the stories and speeches of national leaders, developed a desire to participate in the Indian nationalist movement. He would also spend time by reading foreign authors like Marx, Russell and Lenin. In 1915, a speech of Mahatma Gandhi changed the course of his life and decided to actively participate in India’s freedom struggle.

In order to participate actively in the freedom movement, Lal Bahadur compromised even with his studies. In 1921, during the non-cooperation movement, Lal Bahadur was arrested for demonstrating defiance against the prohibitory order. Since he was a minor then, the authorities had to release him. 

In 1930, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the secretary of local unit of the Congress party and later the president of the Allahabad Congress Committee. He played a crucial role during the Gandhi’s ‘Salt Satyagraha’. He led a door-to-door campaign, urging people not to pay land revenue and taxes to the British. Shastri was among the prominent Congress leaders who were imprisoned by the British Government in 1942. During the long span in confinement, Lal Bahadur utilized the time in reading the social reformers and western philosophers. In 1937, he was elected to the UP Legislative Assembly.

Post-independence

Lal Bahadur Shastri had served in various positions before being elected the Prime Minister of India. After Independence, he became the Minister of police in the Ministry of Govind Vallabh Panth in Uttar Pradesh. His recommendations included the directions for using "water-jets" instead of lathis to disperse the unruly mob. Impressed with his efforts in reforming the state police department, Jawaharlal Nehru, invited Shastri to join the Union cabinet as Minister for Railways. He was widely known for his ethics and morality. In 1956, Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned from his post, following a train accident that killed around 150 passengers near Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu. Nehru, had once said, "No one could wish for a better comrade than Lal Bahadur, a man of the highest integrity and devoted to ideas".

Lal Bahadur Shastri returned to the Cabinet in 1957, first as the Minister for Transport and Communications, and then as the Minister of Commerce and Industry. In 1961, he became the Minister for Home and formed the "Committee on Prevention of Corruption" headed by of K. Santhanam.

As Prime Minister of India

Jawaharlal Nehru was succeeded by a mild-mannered and soft-spoken Lal Bahadur Shastri on 9 June, 1964. Shastri emerged as the consensus candidate after the sudden demise of Nehru, even though there were more influential leaders within the ranks of Congress. Shastri was a follower of Nehruvian socialism and displayed exceptional cool under dire situations.

Shastri tackled many elementary problems like food shortage, unemployment and poverty. To overcome the acute food shortage, Shastri asked the experts to devise a long-term strategy. This was the beginning of famous "Green Revolution". Apart from the Green Revolution, he was also instrumental in promoting the White Revolution. The National Dairy Development Board was formed in 1965 during Shastri’s stint as Prime Minister.

After the Chinese aggression of 1962, India faced another aggression from Pakistan in 1965 during Shastri’s tenure. Shastri showing his mettle, made it very clear that India would not sit and watch. While granting liberty to the Security Forces to retaliate, he said, "Force will be met with force".

The Indo-Pak war ended on 23 September 1965 after the United Nations passed a resolution demanding a ceasefire. The Russian Prime Minister, Kosygin, offered to mediate and on 10 January 1966, Lal Bahadur Shastri and his Pakistan counterpart Ayub Khan signed the Tashkent Declaration.

Lal Bahadur Shastri, who had earlier suffered two heart attacks, died of a third cardiac arrest on 11 January, 1966. He is the only incumbent Indian Prime Minister to have died overseas. Lal Bahadur Shastri was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award posthumously in 1966.

Mystery Surrounding Shastri’s death

Shastri’s sudden death immediately after signing the Tashkent Pact with Pakistan raised many suspicions. His wife, Lalita Devi, alleged that Shastri was poisoned and the Russian butler serving the Prime Minister was arrested. But he was released later as doctors certified that Shastri died of cardiac arrest. The media circulated a possible conspiracy theory hinting at the involvement of CIA in the death of Shastri. The RTI query posted by author Anuj Dhar was declined by the Prime Minister Office citing a possible souring of diplomatic relations with the US.

• News Updates
• Media Coverage
• Mann Ki Baat
• Message from the Prime Minister
• Quest for Transparency
• Right to Information (RTI)
• List of Officers (PMO)
• PM’s Interviews
• PM National Relief Fund
• National Defence Fund
• PM CARES Fund
• International Visits
• Domestic Visits

Know the PM

• Former Prime Ministers
• Three Years
• Photo Gallery
• Watch Live/Videos
• PM’s Speeches
• PM’s Speeches (Videos)
• Infographics & Quotes
• Social Media Updates
• Interact with PM
• Portfolios of the Union Council of Ministers
• Download PMO Mobile App

Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri

Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on October 2, 1904 at Mughalsarai, a small railway town seven miles from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. His father was a school teacher who died when Lal Bahadur Shastri was only a year and half old. His mother, still in her twenties, took her three children to her father’s house and settled down there.

Lal Bahadur’s small town schooling was not remarkable in any way but he had a happy enough childhood despite the poverty that dogged him.

He was sent to live with an uncle in Varanasi so that he could go to high school. Nanhe, or ‘little one’ as he was called at home, walked many miles to school without shoes, even when the streets burned in the summer’s heat.

As he grew up, Lal Bahadur Shastri became more and more interested in the country’s struggle for freedom from foreign yoke. He was greatly impressed by Mahatma Gandhi’s denunciation of Indian Princes for their support of British rule in India. Lal Bahadur Sashtri was only eleven at the time, but the process that was end day to catapult him to the national stage had already begun in his mind.

Lal Bahadur Shastri was sixteen when Gandhiji called upon his countrymen to join the Non-Cooperation Movement. He decided at once to give up his studies in response to the Mahatma’s call. The decision shattered his mother’s hopes. The family could not dissuade him from what they thought was a disastrous course of action. But Lal Bahadur had made up his mind. All those who were close to him knew that he would never change his mind once it was made up, for behind his soft exterior was the firmness of a rock.

Lal Bahadur Shastri joined the Kashi Vidya Peeth in Varanasi, one of the many national institutions set up in defiance of the British rule. There, he came under the influence of the greatest intellectuals, and nationalists of the country. ‘Shastri’ was the bachelor’s degree awarded to him by the Vidya Peeth but has stuck in the minds of the people as part of his name.

In 1927, he got married. His wife, Lalita Devi, came from Mirzapur, near his home town. The wedding was traditional in all senses but one. A spinning wheel and a few yards of handspun cloth was all the dowry. The bridegroom would accept nothing more.

In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi marched to the sea beach at Dandi and broke the imperial salt law. The symbolic gesture set the whole country ablaze. Lal Bahadur Shastri threw himself into the struggle for freedom with feverish energy. He led many defiant campaigns and spent a total of seven years in British jails. It was in the fire of this struggle that his steel was tempered and he grew into maturity.

When the Congress came to power after Independence, the sterling worth of the apparently meek and unassuming Lal Bahadur Shastri had already been recognised by the leader of the national struggle. When the Congress Government was formed in 1946, this ‘little dynamo of a man’ was called upon to play a constructive role in the governance of the country. He was appointed Parliamentary Secretary in his home State of Uttar Pradesh and soon rose to the position of Home Minister. His capacity for hard work and his efficiency became a byeword in Uttar Pradesh. He moved to New Delhi in 1951 and held several portfolios in the Union Cabinet – Minister for Railways; Minister for Transport and Communications; Minister for Commerce and Industry; Home Minister; and during Nehru’s illness Minister without portfolio. He was growing in stature constantly. He resigned his post as Minister for Railways because he felt responsible for a railway accident in which many lives were lost. The unprecedented gesture was greatly appreciated by Parliament and the country. The then Prime Minister, Pt. Nehru, speaking in Parliament on the incident, extolled Lal Bahadur Shastri’s integrity and high ideals. He said he was accepting the resignation because it would set an example in constitutional propriety and not because Lal Bahadur Shastri was in any way responsible for what had happened. Replying to the long debate on the Railway accident, Lal Bahadur Shastri said; “Perhaps due to my being small in size and soft of tongue, people are apt to believe that I am not able to be very firm. Though not physically strong, I think I am internally not so weak.”

In between his Ministerial assignments, he continued to lavish his organising abilities on the affairs of the Congress Party. The landslide successes of the Party in the General Elections of 1952, 1957 and 1962 were in a very large measure the result of his complete identification with the cause and his organisational genius.

More than thirty years of dedicated service were behind Lal Bahadur Shastri. In the course of this period, he came to be known as a man of great integrity and competence. Humble, tolerant, with great inner strength and resoluteness, he was a man of the people who understood their language. He was also a man of vision who led the country towards progress. Lal Bahadur Shastri was deeply influenced by the political teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. “Hard work is equal to prayer,” he once said, in accents profoundly reminiscent of his Master. In the direct tradition of Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri represented the best in Indian culture.

Dynamic, dedicated and determined, Narendra Modi arrives as a ray of hope in the lives of a billion Indians.

Lal Bahadur Shastri Biography

Birthday: October 2 , 1904 ( Libra )

Born In: Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh, India

Recommended For You

Indian Celebrities Born In October

Died At Age: 61

Spouse/Ex-: Lalita Devi

father: Sharada Prasad Srivastava

mother: Ramdulari Devi

children: Anil, Anil Shastri, Ashok Shastri, Hari Krishna, Hari Krishna Shastri, Hari Shastri, Kusum, Kusum Shastri, Suman, Suman Shastri, Sunil and Ashok, Sunil Shastri

Born Country: India

Prime Ministers Political Leaders

political ideology: Socialist

Died on: January 11 , 1966

place of death: Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Notable Alumni: École Normale De Musique De Paris, Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth

Ideology: Socialists

education: Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, École Normale De Musique De Paris

awards: Bharat Ratna

You wanted to know

What is lal bahadur shastri known for.

Lal Bahadur Shastri was the second Prime Minister of India, known for his leadership during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and his slogan "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan" which means "Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer".

What was Lal Bahadur Shastri's role in the Green Revolution?

Lal Bahadur Shastri is credited with initiating the Green Revolution in India by promoting agricultural self-sufficiency through increased production of food grains.

How did Lal Bahadur Shastri contribute to the Indian independence movement?

Lal Bahadur Shastri actively participated in the Indian independence movement led by Mahatma Gandhi, advocating for non-violence and civil disobedience against British rule.

What were Lal Bahadur Shastri's economic policies as Prime Minister?

Lal Bahadur Shastri focused on economic policies that aimed to reduce poverty and improve living standards, including the promotion of self-sufficiency in food production and support for small-scale industries.

How did Lal Bahadur Shastri's leadership impact India's relations with other countries?

Lal Bahadur Shastri's leadership was characterized by a commitment to peaceful coexistence and non-alignment in international relations, promoting India's stance as a neutral party in global conflicts.

Recommended Lists:

Lal Bahadur Shastri was known for his simplicity and humility. He used to carry his own luggage and insisted on paying his own expenses during official trips.

Despite holding a high political position, Shastri was a vegetarian and preferred simple meals like dal, roti, and vegetables.

Shastri was a prolific writer and used to write poems in his spare time. His writings reflected his deep love for the country and its people.

Lal Bahadur Shastri was a strong advocate for gender equality and empowerment of women. He believed in the importance of education for girls and supported initiatives to improve their access to education.

Shastri was a man of principles and integrity. He was known for his honesty and incorruptibility, setting a high standard for ethical leadership in Indian politics.

See the events in life of Lal Bahadur Shastri in Chronological Order

How To Cite

People Also Viewed

Also Listed In

© Famous People All Rights Reserved

• History of India
• Freedom Fighters of India
• Indian Independence movement
• Indian Dynasties
• Culture of India
• Indian Architecture
• National symbols of India
• Indian Clothing
• Ancient India
• Indian Dances
• Indian Music
• Religions in India
• Monuments of India
• Tourism in India
• Andaman and Nicobar
• National Parks in India
• Karnataka Tourism
• Travel Delhi
• Rajasthan in India
• River Rafting
• Goa beaches
• Hill Stations in India
• Red fort Delhi
• Nahargarh Fort Jaipur
• Jal Mahal Jaipur
• Jaisalmer fort
• Health and Lifestyle
• Food for toddlers
• Food for 3 to 15 yrs
• Food after 40 yrs
• Ayurveda and tridoshas
• Kapha dosha
• Pitta dosha-the tridosha in Ayurveda
• yoga-history
• Yoga- branches
• Geography of India
• Himalayas in India
• Thar Desert
• Western Ghats
• Deccan Plateau --India
• Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
• Education in Ancient India
• Education in India
• Engineering in India
• Indian Folktales
• Panchatantra Stories
• Jataka Tales
• Hitopadesha tales
• Akbar and Birbal
• Privacy Policy

Lal Bahadur Shastri

Lal Bahadur Shastri:

Quick Facts:

Name: Lal Bahadur Shastri

Country: India

Date of birth: 2 nd October 1904

Place of Birth: Mughalsarai, Varanasi Uttar Pradesh

Political Party: Indian National Congress

Dead: 11 th January 1966

Memorial: Vijay Ghat, New Delhi

Lal Bahadur Shastri was an Indian Political leader and a freedom Fighter who fought against British to free India. He became the second Prime Minister of Independent India. Lal Bahadur Shastri got deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy and the principles he followed to get independence.  Shastri took oath as second Prime Minister of India after the sudden demise of First Prime Minister of India Shri Jawaharlal Nehru.

Early life, Childhood and Education

Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on 2 nd October 1904 at his maternal grandparent’s home in Mughal Sarai, Uttar Pradesh India.

His father Sharda Prasad Srivastava was a school teacher and later became a clerk in the revenue office at Allahabad while his mother was Ram Dulari Devi. Shastri shares his birth day with Mahatma Gandhi . Shastri’s father died when he was hardly two years old due to bubonic plague.

Ram Dulari Devi (mother) was very young and was also pregnant at the time of her husband’s death. She along with her three children moved to Mughalsarai and settled in her father’s house. She took good care of Shastri and her other two children.

Read more in Indian Independence Movement

Thus Shastri and his two sisters grew up in his maternal grandparents house. He completed his primary education in Mughalsarai and later moved to Varanasi for completing his education. Shastri was against the caste system hence he dropped his surname “Srivastava”. In 1925 he completed his graduation from Kashi Vidyapeeth in Varanasi. After completing his graduation he got the title as “Shastri” which means scholar.

Lal Bahadur Shastri was against all the social evils like dowry system, child marriage etc. He got married to Lalita Devi in the year 1928. The couple together had six children (four sons and two daughters). His sons are Hari Krishna Shastri, Suman Shastri, Anil Shastri, Ashok Shastri and daughter Kusum Shastri. All the sons and grandsons are in different political careers.

Political Life and Indian Independence Movement

Shastri slowly got influenced and developed a desire to work for the betterment of the country. After his college he joined Servants of People Society ( Lok Seva Mandal) and got its life membership. It was founded by Lala Lajpat Rai which worked for the up liftment of Harijans. Later Shastri became the President of the Servants of People Society.

Read more on History of India

Lal Bahadur Shastri was just sixteen years old when Gandhiji requested all his countrymen to participate in the non cooperation movement. He joined the group to support non cooperation movement. In 1921 Shastri was arrested for showing his support to non cooperation movement. By 1928 Shastri had become a very active and important member of the congress party.

In the year 1930 when Gandhiji started with salt Satyagraha movement Shastri asked people to not pay taxes on salt and participate in the salt satyagraha movement. He was arrested and was in Jail for two and half years. After coming out of Jail he was made as the organising secretary of the Parliamentary Board of UP. He also became the President of Allahabad Congress Committee.

Again in the year 1940 Shastri was jailed for one year for showing his support to Satyagraha movement.  1942 was a crucial year when Gandhiji started with Quit India Movement Shastri had just released from jail. He travelled to Allahabad and started spreading the Quit India Movement with other Independent organisers from Jawaharlal Nehru home. He was again arrested and was imprisoned till 1946. In total Shastri did spend around 9 years in Jail. While in Jail he spent his time reading books and talking to other revolutionaries in the Jail.

Post Independence work of Lal Bahadur Shastri

Lal Bahadur Shastri played a crucial role after India got its independence . He worked hard to keep the country united and for the development of the country. After India got independence Lal Bahadur Shastri was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary in Uttar Pradesh. He served in various positions after independence.  He also served as Minister of Police under the chief minister Govind Vallabh Pant of Uttar Pradesh.

 As a minister of Police, Shastri worked hard to maintain the law and order in the state. He asked his Police department to use water instead of Lathis to disperse the mob. Lal Bahadur Shastri had a successful tenure as a minister of state Police. He was able to control the riots in 1947, mass migration and resettlement of refugees.

When Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister of India in the year 1951, Shastri was made as the General Secretary of All India Congress Committee. Shastri played a crucial role in the Congress for its victory in the General Elections in the year 1952, 1957 and 1962.  

Shastri himself won a seat from UP Vidhana Sabha from Soran North cum Phulpur West. Jawaharlal Nehru was very impressed by the hard work of Shastri, requested him to join the Union cabinet as Minister for Railways.

In a major tragic train accident in the year 1956 at Mahabubnagar more than 100 people were dead. Shastri felt very sad and took the responsibility on him and offered his resignation to the then prime Minister of India. However his resignation was turned down by the Prime Minister.

Again just in three months another train accident happened at Ariyalur in which more than 140 people were dead. This time also Shastri took moral responsibility and offered his resignation. With great difficulty Jawaharlal Nehru accepted his resignation. In a speech Jawaharlal Nehru mentioned that he was accepting the resignation as it would set an example in constitutional proprietary and not because Lal Bahadur Shastri was in any way responsible for the accident.

Shastri returned to cabinet after the General Elections in the year 1957. He was appointed as Minister for Transport and Communications and later as Minister of Commerce and Industry. In the year 1961 he was made the Home Minister of India. During his tenure as Home Minister he formed a Committee of Prevention of Corruption under the Leadership of K. Santhanam.

Prime Minister-- Lal Bahadur Shastri

Lal Bahadur Shastri was appointed as Prime Minister of India on 9 th June 1964 after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru. As a Prime Minister of India, Shastri took various measures for the development of the country. 

He remained in the post of Prime Minister of India from 9 th June 1964 to 11 th January 1966. When Shastri took over as Prime Minister of India, the country was facing many economic problems. He was able to sort out the issues like shortage of food, poverty and unemployment to a large extent.

He promoted the White Revolution to increase the production of milk by supporting the Amul milk cooperative of Anand. For the food shortage Shastri requested all the people of India to give up one meal voluntarily so that the food saved can be distributed among the needy people. He first ensured that he and his family members followed this before requesting the citizens.

The response by the people was overwhelming it turned out to be a huge success. He also consulted the experts to devise a strategy for increasing the food production. This was the starting point of the Green Revolution. The food Corporation of India was set up in the year 1964 under the food Corporation Act.

At the time of war with Pakistan in the year 1965, Lal Bahadur Shastri during his speech gave a slogan saying “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan” which means hail the soldiers and hail the farmer). It became such a famous slogan during the war the people from different parts of the country started saying Jai Jawan Jai Kisan. Lal Bahadur Shastri clearly said that India will not sit quietly but and the force will be met by Force. The war ended on 23 rd September 1965 after United Nations passed a resolution demanding a ceasefire between the two countries.

On the day of ceasefire Lal Bahadur Shastri stated “ While the conflict between the armed forces of the two countries has come to an end, the more important thing for the United Nations and all those who stand for peace is to bring to an end the deeper conflict.... How can this be brought about? In our view, the only answer lies in peaceful coexistence. India has stood for the principle of coexistence and championed it all over the world. Peaceful coexistence is possible among nations no matter how deep the differences between them, how far apart they are in their political and economic systems, no matter how intense the issues that divide them”

After the declaration of ceasefire both Lal Bahadur Shastri and Mohammed Ayub Khan (Pakistan second President) signed Tashkent Deceleration on 10 th January 1966. Tashkent Declaration was a peace agreement between India and Pakistan that resolved the Indo Pakistan War of 1965.

Lal Bahadur Shastri had kept good relations with many countries. During his period he visited many countries like England, Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Egypt, Burma, Nepal and Canada. He followed the non alignment policy of Nehru and also developed good relations with other countries.

 In 1964 Lal Bahadur Shastri signed a agreement with the then Sri Lankan Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike with regard to the status of Indian Tamils in Sri Lanka. The agreement came to be known as Sirima Shastri Pact.

Death of Lal Bahadur Shastri

Lal Bahadur Shastri died in Tashkent immediately after signing the Tashkent Pact with Pakistan raised many doubts for the cause of his death. He died on 11 th January 1966 while the Tashkent Pact was signed on 10 th January 1966.

Even though reports claim his death as Heart attack but his wife alleged that Shastri was poisoned. The Russian Butler who served the Prime Minister was arrested but he was later released after the doctors certified his death as cardiac arrest.

Lal Bahadur Shastri was known for his honesty and hard work through out his life. He was posthumously awarded the Bharata Ratna award which is the highest civilian award. A memorial is built in his memory at Vijay Ghat in Delhi . Many colleges, dams have been named after this great leader.

Please share your thoughts with us by clicking the link here .

You might like these

Chittaranjan Das Biography Swaraj, History, National Movement

Chittaranjan Das popularly called as Deshbandu( friend of Nation) is a Bengali political leader, a lawyer

Lala Lajpat Rai --History, Biography, Facts, Death

Lala Lajpat Rai was an Indian freedom fighter who fought against the British to free India from British rule.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel -- Biography, Statue of Unity ,Facts

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was born on 31st October 1875 at Nadiad district which is in Gujarat now. Popularly known as " Iron Man of India"

Jawaharlal Nehru |Biography, First Prime Minister of India.|

Jawaharlal Nehru was born on November 14th 1889 in Allahabad in a rich Kashmirs Family. He was the First Prime Minister of India.

Mangal Pandey |Biography: History, Role in the Revolt of 1857|

Mangal Pandey was an Indian soldier in the 24th Bengal Native Infantry who played a major role in the Indian rebellion of 1857.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Biography |Early Life, Education|

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was the first Education minister of Independent India. He was a prominent leader to fight against the British in India.

Bhagat Singh Biography-- Childhood, History, Execution.

Bhagat Singh was an Indian revolutionary and a great freedom fighter who fought against British during the Indian Independence Movement

Bal Gangadhar Tilak Biography |Childhood, facts, History |

Bal Gangadhar Tilak was a freedom activists, social reformer, mathematician who played a key role in laying foundation for India's Independence.

Mahatma Gandhi Life, Freedom movement, History,quotes and Facts

Mahatma Gandhi also known as Father of nation played a major role in Indian Independence Movement. His preachings are nonviolence and satyagraha

Update on coronavirus in India

Affiliate Disclosure:

If you make any purchase via a link on this site, I may receive a small commission with no added cost to you.

Recent Articles

European colonial architecture in india-- history, evolution.

May 28, 24 09:36 AM

Carnatic Music - History, Origin, Basic Elements, Improvisation

May 09, 24 10:44 AM

Mohiniattam Dance - Mohiniyattam, Repertoire, Costume, History

Apr 01, 24 10:22 AM

Reach us on and share your feed back on contact us

Popular pages

I ndian art , Indian architecture, Religions of India, culture of India, History of India,  Tourism in India , Yoga , ancient India, Indian Music, Indian Dance , India Independence Movement , Indian Dynasties , Ayurveda , Indian Folktales , Geography of India , National Parks in India , National Symbols of India

Indian History

Indian culture, indian tourism, adventure tourism in india, indian beaches, indian forts and temples, health & lifestyle, introduction, indian geography, indian education, communication.

  Get in touch with us on Facebook pages . 

Pinterest and on Instagram

(c) Copy rights are with www.india-a2z.com

We also hereby confirm, as stated in our privacy policy , Contact us , About Me 

 That we do not sell personal information.

Lal Bahadur Shastri

Prime Minister of India from 1964 to 1966 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shastri was born to Sharad Prasad Srivastava and Ramdulari Devi in Mughalsarai on 2 October 1904. He studied in East Central Railway Inter college and Harish Chandra High School, which he left to join the non-cooperation movement . He worked for the betterment of the Harijans at Muzaffarpur and dropped his caste-derived surname of "Srivastava". Shastri's thoughts were influenced by reading about Swami Vivekananda , Mahatma Gandhi and Annie Besant . Deeply impressed and influenced by Gandhi, he joined the Indian Independence movement in the 1920s. He served as the president of Servants of the People Society (Lok Sevak Mandal), founded by Lala Lajpat Rai and held prominent positions in the Indian National Congress . Following independence in 1947, he joined the Indian government and became one of Prime Minister Nehru's key cabinet colleagues, first as Railways Minister (1951–56), and then in numerous other prominent positions, including the Home Minister .

As prime minister, Shastri 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 . Underlining the need to boost India's food production, Shastri also promoted the Green Revolution in India in 1965. This led to an increase in food grain production, especially in the states of Punjab , Haryana and Uttar Pradesh . He led the country during the Second India–Pakistan War . His slogan " Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan " ("Hail to the soldier; Hail to the farmer") became very popular during the war. The war formally ended with the Tashkent Declaration on 10 January 1966; Shastri died the next day.

Shastri was born on 2 October 1904 at the home of his maternal grandparents in a North-Indian Kayastha Hindu family. [1] Shastri's paternal ancestors were in the service of the zamindar of Ramnagar near Banaras , and Shastri lived there for the first year of his life. Shastri's father, Sharad Prasad Srivastava, was a school teacher who later became a clerk in the revenue office at Prayagraj , 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 (b. 1900). [2] [3]

In April 1906, when Shastri was hardly 18 months old, his father, who had only recently been promoted to the post of deputy tahsildar, died in an epidemic of bubonic plague . Ramdulari Devi, then only 23 years old and pregnant with her third child, took her two children and moved from Ramnagar to her father's house in Mughalsarai and settled there for good. She gave birth to a daughter, Sundari Devi, in July 1906. [4] [5] Thus, Shastri and his sisters grew up in the household of his maternal grandfather, Hazari Lalji. [6] However, Hazari Lalji himself died from a stroke in mid-1908. Thereafter, the family was looked after by his brother (Shastri's great-uncle) Darbari Lal, who was the head clerk in the opium regulation department at Ghazipur, and later by his son (Ramdulari Devi's cousin) Bindeshwari Prasad, a school teacher in Mughalsarai. [7]

This situation was fairly standard for the time, where the Indian joint family system was a thriving reality; the sense of family relationship and responsibility it fostered was the primary social security of the time. Nor should it be surmised from these circumstances that Shastri grew up in an under-privileged manner, or that his education and comforts were compromised. On the contrary, since he was a rank student, he received a better education than some of his cousins. [8] Bindeshwari Prasad, on the limited salary of a school teacher, with many dependents, nevertheless managed to give a good education to all the children in his care.

In 1917, Bindeshwari Prasad was transferred to Varanasi, and the entire family moved there, including Ramdulari Devi and her three children. In Varanasi, Shastri joining the seventh standard at Harish Chandra High School.

While his family had no links to the independence movement then taking shape, among his teachers at Harish Chandra High School was an intensely patriotic and highly respected teacher named Nishkameshwar Prasad Mishra, who gave Shastri much-needed financial support by allowing him to tutor his children. Inspired by Mishra's patriotism, Shastri took a deep interest in the freedom struggle, and began to study its history and the works of several of its noted personalities, including those of Swami Vivekananda , Mahatma Gandhi and Annie Besant . [ citation needed ] In January 1921, when Shastri was in the 10th standard and three months from sitting the final examinations, he attended a public meeting in Benares hosted by Gandhi and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya . Inspired by the Mahatma's call for students to withdraw from government schools and join the non-cooperation movement, Shastri withdrew from Harish Chandra High School the next day and joined the local branch of the Congress Party as a volunteer, actively participating in picketing and anti-government demonstrations. [9] He was soon arrested and jailed, but was then let off as he was still a minor. [10] [11]

Shastri's immediate supervisor was a former Benares Hindu University lecturer named J.B. Kripalani , who would become one of the most prominent leaders of the Indian independence movement and one among Gandhi's closest followers. [12] Recognising the need for the younger volunteers to continue their educations, Kripalani and a friend, V.N. Sharma, had founded an informal school centered around "nationalist education" to educate the young activists in their nation's heritage and with the support of a wealthy philanthropist and ardent Congress nationalist, Shiv Prasad Gupta, the Kashi Vidyapith was inaugurated by Gandhi in Benares as a national institution of higher education on 10 February 1921. Among the first students of the new institution, Shastri graduated with a first-class degree in philosophy and ethics from the Vidyapith in 1925. He was given the title Shastri ("scholar"). [13] The title was a bachelor's degree awarded by the institution but it stuck as part of his name. [14] [15]

Shastri enrolled himself as a life member of the Servants of the People Society (Lok Sevak Mandal), founded by Lala Lajpat Rai , and began to work for the betterment of the Harijans under Gandhi's direction at Muzaffarpur . [16] Later he became the President of the Society. [17] [18]

Independence Activism of Lal Bahadur Shastri

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. [19] Later, he worked as the Organizing Secretary of the Parliamentary Board of U.P. in 1937. [20] In 1940, he was sent to prison for one year, for offering individual Satyagraha support to the independence movement. [21]

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 . [22] He served as an elected representative for United Provinces in 1937 and 1946 . [23]

State minister

Following India's independence, Shastri was appointed Parliamentary Secretary in his home state, Uttar Pradesh . [24] He became the Minister of Police and Transport under Govind Ballabh Pant 's Chief Ministership on 15 August 1947 following Rafi Ahmed Kidwai 's departure to become a minister at the centre. As the Transport Minister, he was the first to appoint women conductors . As the minister in charge of the Police Department, he ordered that police use water jets, whose instructions was given by him, instead of lathis to disperse unruly crowds. [25] His tenure as police minister (As Home Minister was called prior to 1950) saw successful curbing of communal riots in 1947, mass migration and resettlement of refugees. [26]

Cabinet minister

In 1951, Shastri was made the General Secretary of the All-India Congress Committee with Jawaharlal Nehru as the prime minister. He was directly responsible for the selection of candidates and the direction of publicity and electioneering activities. He played an important role in the landslide successes of the Congress Party in the Indian General Elections of 1952, 1957 and 1962. In 1952, he successfully contested UP Vidhansabha from Soraon North cum Phulpur West seat and won by getting over 69% of vote. He was believed to be retained as home minister of UP, but in a surprise move was called to Centre as minister by Nehru. Shastri was made Minister of Railways and Transport in First Cabinet of Republic of India on 13 May 1952. [27]

In September 1956 he wanted to take political and moral responsibility for the 1956 Mahbubnagar train accident and offered his resignation as the Minister of Railways to prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru , but he refused. After the 1956 Ariyalur train accident , a similar accident about 2.5 months later, Shastri again offered his resignation and was accepted this time. [28] [29] He resigned as Railway minister on 7 December 1956. [30]

He served as the Minister of Commerce and Industry in 1959 and Minister of Home Affairs in 1961. [31] Shastri laid the foundation of Mangalore Port in 1964 as a minister without a portfolio. [32]

Jawaharlal Nehru died in office on 27 May 1964. Then Congress Party president K. Kamaraj was instrumental in making Shastri prime minister on 9 June. Shastri, though mild-mannered and soft-spoken, was a Nehruvian socialist and thus held appeal to those wishing to prevent the ascent of conservative right-winger Morarji Desai .

In his first broadcast as prime minister, on 11 June 1964, Shastri stated: [33]

There comes a time in the life of every nation when it stands at the cross-roads of history and must choose which way to go. But for us, there need be no difficulty or hesitation, no looking to right or left. Our way is straight and clear—the building up of a socialist democracy at home with freedom and prosperity for all, and the maintenance of world peace and friendship with all nations.

Domestic policies

Shastri retained many members of Nehru's Council of Ministers . T. T. Krishnamachari was retained as the Finance Minister of India , as was Defence Minister Yashwantrao Chavan . He appointed Swaran Singh to succeed him as External Affairs Minister . He also appointed Indira Gandhi , daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru and former Congress President, as the Minister of Information and Broadcasting . Gulzarilal Nanda continued as the Minister of Home Affairs . [34]

Lal Bahadur Shastri's tenure witnessed the Madras anti-Hindi agitation of 1965. The government of India had for a long time made an effort to establish Hindi as the sole national language of India. This was resisted by the non-Hindi speaking states particularly Madras State . [35] To calm the situation, Shastri gave assurances that English would continue to be used as the official language as long the non-Hindi speaking states wanted. The riots subsided after Shastri's assurance, as did the student agitation. [36]

Economic policies

Shastri continued Nehru's socialist economic policies with central planning. [37] 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 . [38] He visited Anand on 31 October 1964 for inauguration of the Cattle Feed Factory of Amul at Kanjari. As he was keenly interested in knowing the success of this co-operative, he stayed overnight with farmers in a village, and even had dinner with a farmer's family. He discussed his wish with Verghese Kurien , then the General Manager of Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers' Union Ltd (Amul) to replicate this model to other parts of the country for improving the socio-economic conditions of farmers. As a result of this visit, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was established at Anand in 1965. [39]

While speaking on the chronic food shortages across the country, Shastri urged people to voluntarily give up one meal so that the food saved could be distributed to the affected populace. However, he ensured that he first implemented the system in his own family before appealing to the country. He went on air to appeal to his countrymen to skip a meal a week. The response to his appeal was overwhelming. Even restaurants and eateries downed the shutters on Monday evenings. Many parts of the country observed the "Shastri Vrat". He motivated the country to maximize the cultivation of food grains by ploughing the lawn himself, at his official residence in New Delhi. During the 22-day war with Pakistan in 1965, 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. Underlining the need to boost India's food production, Shastri also promoted the Green Revolution in India in 1965. [40] [41] [42] This led to an increase in food grain production, especially in Punjab , Haryana , and Uttar Pradesh. Major milestones in this undertaking were the development of high-yielding varieties of wheat , [43] and rust resistant strains of wheat. [44] [45]

Though he was a socialist, Shastri stated that India cannot have a regimented type of economy. 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. [46]

Jai Jawan Jai Kisan

For the outstanding slogan given by him during the Indo-Pak war of 1965, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India) commemorated Shastri 47 years after his death on his 48th martyr's day: [47]

Former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri was one of those great Indians who has left an indelible impression on our collective life. Lal Bahadur Shastri's contribution to our public life were unique in that they were made in the closest proximity to the life of the common man in India. Lal Bahadur Shastri was looked upon by Indians as one of their own, one who shared their ideals, hopes and aspirations. His achievements were looked upon not as the isolated achievements of an individual but of our society collectively. Under Shastri's leadership India faced and repulsed the Pakistani invasion of 1965. It is not only a matter of pride for the Indian Army but also for every citizen of the country. His slogan Jai Jawan! Jai Kisan!! reverberates even today through the length and breadth of the country. Underlying this is the inner-most sentiments 'Jai Hind'. The war of 1965 was fought and won for our self-respect and our national prestige. For using our Defence Forces with such admirable skill, the nation remains beholden to Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri. He will be remembered for all times to come for his large heartedness and public service. [48]

Foreign policies

Shastri continued Nehru's policy of non-alignment but also built closer relations with the Soviet Union . In the aftermath of the Sino-Indian War of 1962 and the formation of military ties between China and Pakistan, Shastri's government decided to expand the country's defence budget. [49] In 1964, Shastri signed an accorresponsibilities of local governments to provide adequate facilities to shelter the repatriates upon disembarkation on Indian soil. Particularly in the Madras State the Chief Minister during that time, Minjur K. Bhaktavatsalam, showed care in rehabilitation of the returnees. In December 1965, Shastri made an official visit with his family to Rangoon, Burma and re-established cordial relations with the country's military government of General Ne Win . [50]

War with Pakistan

Laying claim to half the Kutch peninsula , the Pakistani army skirmished with Indian forces in August 1965. In his report to the Lok Sabha on the confrontation in Kutch , Shastri stated: [33] [1]

In the utilization of our limited resources, we have always given primacy to plans and projects for economic development. It would, therefore, be obvious for anyone who is prepared to look at things objectively that India can have no possible interest in provoking border incidents or in building up an atmosphere of strife... In these circumstances, the duty of Government is quite clear and this duty will be discharged fully and effectively... We would prefer to live in poverty for as long as necessary but we shall not allow our freedom to be subverted.

On 1 August 1965, major incursions of militants and Pakistani soldiers began, hoping not only to break down the government but incite a sympathetic revolt. The revolt did not happen, and India sent its forces across the Ceasefire Line (now Line of Control ) and threatened Pakistan by crossing the International Border near Lahore as war broke out on a general scale. Massive tank battles occurred in the Punjab , and while the Pakistani forces made gains in the northern part of subcontinent, Indian forces captured the key post at Haji Pir, in Kashmir, and brought the Pakistani city of Lahore under artillery and mortar fire.

The Indo-Pak war ended on 23 September 1965 with a United Nations -mandated ceasefire. In a broadcast to the nation on the day of the ceasefire, Shastri stated: [33]

While the conflict between the armed forces of the two countries has come to an end, the more important thing for the United Nations and all those who stand for peace is to bring to an end the deeper conflict.... How can this be brought about? In our view, the only answer lies in peaceful coexistence. India has stood for the principle of coexistence and championed it all over the world. Peaceful coexistence is possible among nations no matter how deep the differences between them, how far apart they are in their political and economic systems, no matter how intense the issues that divide them.

During his tenure as prime minister, Shastri visited many countries including the Soviet Union , Yugoslavia , England, Canada , Nepal, Egypt and Burma . [16] In October 1964 while returning from the Non Alliance Conference in Cairo, on the invitation of the-then president of Pakistan, Muhammad Ayub Khan , to have lunch with him, Shastri made a stopover at Karachi Airport for a few hours. Breaking with protocol, Ayub Khan personally received him at the airport and they had an informal meeting.

After the ceasefire with Pakistan in 1965, Shastri and Ayub Khan attended a summit in Tashkent (former USSR , now in modern Uzbekistan ), organized by Alexei Kosygin . On 10 January 1966, Shastri and Ayub Khan signed the Tashkent Declaration . [1]

Shastri was 5   ft 2 inches tall [51] and always used to wear a dhoti . The only occasion on which he wore pyjamas was a dinner in honor of the Queen of the United Kingdom in 1961 in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. [52] On 16 May 1928, Shastri married Lalita Devi who was from Mirzapur . [53] The couple had four sons and two daughters. Hari Krishna Shastri is the eldest son; The eldest daughter is Kusum Shastri. Suman Shastri is the next eldest, whose son, Siddharth Nath Singh is a spokesman of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Minister of Health, Government of Uttar Pradesh . Anil Shastri is the youngest and is a member of his father's Congress Party; his son Adarsh Shastri gave up his corporate career with Apple Inc to contest the General elections of 2014 from Prayagraj on an Aam Aadmi Party ticket. [54] He lost that election but was elected in 2015 as a member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly . [55] [56] Sunil Shastri who is a member of the Indian National Congress and Ashok Shastri, the youngest son who worked in the corporate world before his death at the age of 37, [57] his wife Neera Shastri was a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party national executive. [58] Other members of the family, have also been involved in the corporate and social life of India. [ further explanation needed ] [ citation needed ]

Shastri died of a heart attack in Tashkent , Uzbekistan (then in the Soviet Union) on 11 January 1966, one day after signing a peace treaty to end the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War . [59] Many of Shastri's supporters and close relatives refused at the time, and have refused since, to believe the circumstances of his death, instead alleging foul play. [60] [61] Conspiracy theories appeared within hours of his death, and have thereafter persisted. A movie named The Tashkent Files was made on the topic of his death. An RTI was filed to Prime Minister's Office (India) , office responded that it has one file on his death but can not declassify it to the public. Many people still believe that he was poisoned. He was eulogized as a national hero; the Vijay Ghat memorial was established in his memory. Upon his death, Gulzarilal Nanda once again assumed the role of acting prime minister, until the Congress Party elected Indira Gandhi over Morarji Desai to officially succeed Shastri. [62]

In 1965, Shastri was awarded honorary citizenship of Belgrade by the Yugoslavian government. [63]

State honours

Shastri is regarded as one of the most respected prime ministers of India. He was a secularist who refused to mix religion with politics. In a public meeting held at the Ram Lila grounds in Delhi, a few days after the ceasefire, he complained about a BBC report which claimed that Shastri's identity as a Hindu meant that he was ready for a war with Pakistan. He stated: [64]

Kuldip Nayar , Shastri's media advisor from 1960 to 1964, recalls that, during the Quit India Movement , his daughter was ill and he was released on parole from jail. However, he could not save her life because doctors had prescribed costly drugs. Later on in 1963, on the day when he was dropped from the cabinet, he was sitting in his home in the dark, without a light. When asked about the reason, he said as he no longer is a minister, all expenses will have to be paid by himself and that as an MP and minister he didn't earn enough to save for times of need. [65]

Although Shastri had been a cabinet minister for many years in the 1950s, he was poor when he died. All he owned at the end was an old car, which he had bought in installments from the government and for which he still owed money. He was a member of the Servants of India society (which included Mahatma Gandhi , Lala Lajpat Rai , Gopal Krishna Gokhle ) which asked all its members to shun accumulation of private property and remain in public life as servants of the people. He was the first railway minister who resigned from office following a major train accident as he felt moral responsibility. [66]

The foundation stone of Bal Vidya Mandir , a distinguished school of Lucknow , was laid by him during his tenure as the prime minister, on 19 November 1964. He inaugurated the Central Institute of Technology Campus at Tharamani, Chennai, in November 1964. [67] He inaugurated the Plutonium Reprocessing Plant at Trombay in 1965. As suggested by Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha , Shastri authorized the development of nuclear explosives. Bhabha initiated the effort by setting up the nuclear explosive design group Study of Nuclear Explosions for Peaceful Purposes (SNEPP). [68] He inaugurated the Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University at Hyderabad on 20 March 1965 which was renamed the Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University in 1996 and was separated into two universities after the formation of Telangana State. The university in Telangana was named in July 2014 as Professor Jayashanker Agricultural University . Shastri also inaugurated the National Institute of Technology, Allahabad . Lal Bahadur Shastri inaugurated the Jawahar Dock of the Chennai Port Trust and started the construction work of V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority in November 1964. [69] He inaugurated the Sainik School Balachadi, in the state of Gujarat. He laid the foundation stone of Almatti dam. The commissioned dam bears his name. [70]

Shastri was known for his honesty and humility throughout his life. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna , and a memorial " Vijay Ghat " was built for him in Delhi. Several educational institutes including Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (Mussorie, Uttarakhand) bear his name. The Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management was established in Delhi by the Lal Bahadur Shastri Educational Trust in 1995. The Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute was named after Shastri due to his role in promoting scholarly activity between India and Canada. [71] Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial run by the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Memorial Trust, is situated next to 10 Janpath his residence when he was prime minister, [72] at 1, Motilal Nehru Place, New Delhi. [73] One of the halls of residence of IIT Kharagpur is named after him as Lal Bahadur Shastri Hall of Residence . [74]

In 2011, on Shastri's 45th death anniversary, the Uttar Pradesh Government announced the renovation of Shastri's ancestral house at Ramnagar in Varanasi and declared plans to convert it into a biographical museum. [75] [76] Varanasi International Airport is named after him. [77] The Lal Bahadur Shastri Centre for Indian Culture with a monument and a street named after him are in the city of Tashkent , Uzbekistan . A few stadiums are named after him in the cities of Hyderabad , Telangana , Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Kollam in Kerala, Ghazhiabad and Bhawanipatna in Odisha. The Almatti Dam across the River Krishna in northern Karnataka was renamed the Lal Bahadur Shastri Sagar. The foundation stone was laid by him. MV Lal Bahadur Shastri, a cargo ship, is named after him. The Reserve Bank of India released coins in the denomination of 5 rupees during his birth century celebrations. An All India Lal Bahadur Shastri Hockey tournament has been held every year since 1991 – it is a major hockey tournament. The Left Bank Canal of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam in Andhra Pradesh is named the Lal Bahadur Shastri Canal and is 295   km in Length. [78]

Some major roads in the cities of New Delhi, Mumbai , Pune, Puduchery, Lucknow, Warangal and Allahabad and Ernakulam are named after him, as is Sashtri Road, Kottayam, Kerala. There is a Lal Bahadur Shastri Medical College in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh and Shastri Bhavans in New Delhi, Chennai and Lucknow. In 2005, the Government of India created a chair in his honour in the field of democracy and governance at Delhi University . [5]

A portrait of Shastri hangs in the Central Hall of the Parliament House of India. The portrait, painted by Vidya Bhushan, was unveiled by the then President of India, Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma on 2 October 1993. [79]

Shastri's life and death, in particular, have been a subject of Indian popular culture. Homage to Lal Bahadur Shastri is a 1967 short documentary film directed by S. Sukhdev and produced by the Films Division of India which pays tribute to the former prime minister. [80] Apne Shastri Ji (1986) was also made as a homage to him. [81]

Jai Jawaan Jai Kisaan is a 2015 Indian Hindi -language biographical drama film by Milan Ajmera, titled after the popular slogan by Shastri it portrays his entire life from birth to death where he is portrayed by Akhilesh Jain. Lal Bahadur Shastri's Death , a 2018 television documentary film by Jyoti Kapur Das reconstructs his death and covers various conspiracy theories around it, including interviews with his son Sunil Shastri . [82] A film titled The Tashkent Files (2019), directed by Vivek Agnihotri revolves around the mystery of the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri. [83]

Pradhanmantri ( literal translation "}]],"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Literal translation","href":"./Template:Literal_translation"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"Prime Minister"}},"i":0}}]}">lit.   ' Prime Minister ' ), a 2013 Indian documentary television series which aired on ABP News and covers the various policies and political tenures of Indian PMs, dedicated the entire seventh episode "Lal Bahadur Shastri" to his term as the country's leader with Akhil Mishra in the role of Shastri. [84]

The 1967 Bollywood film Upkar by Manoj Kumar , which is based on the 1965 war, was dedicated to Shastri. [85] It also eulogised him in the song Mere Desh Ki Dharti when the hero exclaims, Rang Lal hai Lal Bahadur se . [86] Lal Bahadur Shastri , a 2014 Indian Malayalam -language comedy film by Rejishh Midhila is titled after the prime minister but has no apparent connection with his life. [87]

• List of prime ministers of India
• List of unsolved deaths
• Gulzarilal Nanda served as acting prime minister in the interim for 13 days.
• [2] Bakshi 1991 , pp.   1, 2.
• [3] Dhawan 1991 , p.   81.
• [4] C.P. Srivastava 1995 , pp.   12–17.
• [5] "Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri" , pmindia.gov.in , Government Of India , archived from the original on 17 June 2019 , retrieved 19 May 2019
• [6] Narayan, Narayan Agrawal (2006). Lal Bahadur Shastri, Churn of Conscience . Eternal Gandhi. ISBN   978-81-231-0193-4 .
• [7] Chokkan 2020 , p.   9.
• [8] C.P. Srivastava 1995 .
• [9] "Contact Us – IndiaInfoline" . www.indiainfoline.com . Archived from the original on 28 November 2020 . Retrieved 7 December 2020 .
• [10] "Lal Bahadur Shastri: The Young Satyagrahi" . Free India . Archived from the original on 19 January 2007 . Retrieved 13 March 2007 .
• [11] C.P. Srivastava 1995 , pp.   20–22.
• [12] "मां ने कर्ज लेकर करवाई शास्त्री जी की पढ़ाई, पढ़ें कुछ दिलचस्प बातें" . Dainik Bhaskar (in Hindi). 2 October 2017. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020 . Retrieved 7 December 2020 .
• [13] " 'वर्मा' से 'शास्त्री' कैसे बने पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री लाल बहादुर?" . News18 India . 2 October 2019. Archived from the original on 4 October 2019 . Retrieved 7 December 2020 .
• [14] C.P. Srivastava 1995 , pp.   23–28.
• [15] "Lal Bahadur Shastri: Tilak and Gandhi" . Free India . Archived from the original on 17 December 2006 . Retrieved 13 March 2007 .
• [16] "Lal Bahadur Shastri (1904–1966)" . Research Reference and Training Division, Ministry Of Information And Broadcasting, Government Of India. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007 . Retrieved 13 March 2007 .
• [17] "Lal Bahadur Shastri: The Servants of the People Society" . Free India . Archived from the original on 19 January 2007 . Retrieved 13 March 2007 .
• [18] Grover 1993 , pp.   547–.
• [19] "Lal Bahadur Shastri: Freedom's Soldier" . Free India . Archived from the original on 19 January 2007 . Retrieved 13 March 2007 .
• [20] WD. "लाल बहादुर शास्त्री पर हिन्दी निबंध" . hindi.webdunia.com (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 2 December 2019 . Retrieved 7 December 2020 .
• [21] "Lal Bahadur Shastri: In Prison Again" . Free India . Archived from the original on 19 January 2007 . Retrieved 13 March 2007 .
• [22] Chopra, Swami Rajesh. "Lal Bahadur Shastri" . Live India . Archived from the original on 8 July 2012 . Retrieved 5 December 2012 .
• [23] "स्वाभिमान के लिए लाल बहादुर शास्त्री जब उफनाती गंगा नदी में तैरकर पहुंचे थे घर" . NDTVIndia . Archived from the original on 13 September 2019 . Retrieved 7 December 2020 .
• [24] Rajeshwar Prasad 1991 , p.   23.
• [25] "Lal Bahadur Shastri:The Responsibility of Freedom" . Free India . Archived from the original on 19 January 2007 . Retrieved 13 March 2007 .
• [26] U.N. Gupta (2003). Indian Parliamentary Democracy . Atlantic Publishers & Distributors. p. 121. ISBN   8126901934 .
• [27] "Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri" . Indian National Congress . Archived from the original on 25 October 2020 . Retrieved 7 December 2020 .
• [28] "NN: Lal Bahadur Shastri. "I Am Responsible" " . Free India . Archived from the original on 3 February 2014 . Retrieved 13 March 2007 . .
• [29] "When Lal Bahadur Shastri sent Nehru his resignation & set a gold standard for politicians" . The Print . 12 October 2019. Archived from the original on 17 August 2023 . Retrieved 17 August 2023 .
• [30] P Thiruselvam (23 November 2022). "Six decades since Ariyalur train tragedy, residents ask for plaque" . The New Indian Express . Archived from the original on 12 August 2023 . Retrieved 17 August 2023 .
• [31] Rajeshwar Prasad 1991 , p.   11-12.
• [32] Rajeshwar Prasad 1991 , p.   5.
• [33] "Lal Bahadur Shastri: The Might of Peace" . Press Information Bureau, Government Of India. 29 September 2006. Archived from the original on 22 September 2007 . Retrieved 13 March 2007 .
• [34] "LOK SABHA" . legislativebodiesinindia.nic.in . Archived from the original on 21 May 2014 . Retrieved 6 December 2020 .
• [35] Irschick, Eugene F. (1986). Tamil revivalism in the 1930s (PDF) . Madras: Cre-A. OCLC   15015416 . Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2010 . Retrieved 6 December 2020 .
• [36] Guha 2008 , p.   187-189.
• [37] Bakshi 1991 , p.   49.
• [38] "Prime Minister Inaugurates Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial: Text Of Dr Manmohan Singh's Speech" . Press Information Bureau, Government Of India. 7 May 2005. Archived from the original on 7 May 2005 . Retrieved 13 March 2007 .
• [39] Shyam Benegal (16 September 2017). "White knight Verghese Kurien made India largest producer of milk" . India Today . Archived from the original on 13 September 2020 . Retrieved 7 December 2020 .
• [40] "From Green to Ever-Green Revolution" . The Financial Express . 10 August 2009. Archived from the original on 5 July 2020 . Retrieved 16 April 2020 .
• [41] Biography, World Leaders (23 February 2017). "All About The Green Revolution By Indira   : Impacts and Path Ahead" . Medium . Archived from the original on 5 July 2020 . Retrieved 16 April 2020 .
• [42] "The Stories of Ehrlich, Borlaug and the Green Revolution" . thewire.in . Archived from the original on 5 July 2020 . Retrieved 16 April 2020 .
• [43] "About IARI" . IARI . Archived from the original on 16 March 2015 . Retrieved 11 June 2015 .
• [44] "Rust-resistant Wheat Varieties. Work at Pusa Institute" . The Indian Express . 7 February 1950. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020 . Retrieved 13 September 2013 .
• [45] Newman, Bryan. "A Bitter Harvest: Farmer Suicide and the Unforeseen Social, Environmental and Economic Impacts of the Green Revolution in Punjab, India ." Development Report No. 15. Jan 2007" . Food First: Institute for Food and Development Policy. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018 . Retrieved 16 November 2018 – via DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
• [46] "National Agricultural Products Board Act, 1964 [ 39 of 1964 ] | Tanzania Legal Information Institute" . tanzlii.org . Retrieved 7 December 2020 . [ permanent dead link ]
• [47] "Rediff On The NeT: 'Jai jawan, jai kisan aur jai vigyan', Vajpayee coins new slogan" . 27 April 2006. Archived from the original on 27 April 2006 . Retrieved 6 December 2020 .
• [48] Hindustan Times , New Delhi , 11 January 2013, p. 5
• [49] Bakshi 1991 , p.   23-26.
• [50] Maung (U), Maung (1969). Burma and General Ne Win . Religious Affairs Department Press. pp.   145–146. ISBN   9780210981962 .
• [51] "Man in the News; Devoted Aide to Nehru Lal Bahadur Shastri" . The New York Times . 25 January 1964. ISSN   0362-4331 . Archived from the original on 1 March 2020 . Retrieved 1 March 2020 . A tiny, ascetic man 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 100 pounds, Mr. Shastri wears simple homespun cotton garments.
• [52] Rajeshwar Prasad 1991 , p.   11.
• [53] "Lalita Shastri, wife of Lal Bahadur Shastri" . Mirzapur.com . Archived from the original on 14 June 2020 . Retrieved 6 December 2020 .
• [54] "Adarsh Shastri: Latest News & Videos, Photos about Adarsh Shastri | The Economic Times" . The Economic Times . Archived from the original on 29 August 2023 . Retrieved 6 December 2020 .
• [55] "Grandson banks on Lal Bahadur Shastri's legacy to conquer Prayagraj" . The Hindu . 6 May 2014. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014 . Retrieved 13 May 2014 .
• [56] "Adarsh Shastri(AAP):Constituency- DWARKA(SOUTH-WEST) – Affidavit Information of Candidate" . myneta.info . Archived from the original on 23 January 2021 . Retrieved 6 December 2020 .
• [57] "The Shastri saga" . The Hindu . 2 October 2004. Archived from the original on 10 August 2010 . Retrieved 16 February 2007 . {{ cite web }} : CS1 maint: unfit URL ( link )
• [58] "शास्त्री जी की मौत के रहस्य का पर्दा उठाया जाए: नीरा शास्त्री" . Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 16 April 2016 . Retrieved 6 December 2020 . {{ cite web }} : CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown ( link )
• [59] Sonal, Swapnal (2 October 2018). "शास्‍त्रीजी: 15 मिनट में तबीयत बिगड़ी और हमने प्रधानमंत्री खो दिया" . वायरल अड्डा (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 21 August 2021 . Retrieved 7 December 2020 .
• [60] "Was Mr Shastri murdered" . bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 30 August 2009 . Retrieved 31 May 2013 .
• [61] Naqvi, Saba (16 July 2012). "Clear air on Lal Bahadur Shastri's death: Son" . Hindustan Times . Archived from the original on 13 May 2013 . Retrieved 11 June 2013 .
• [62] U.N. Gupta 2003 , p.   121.
• [63] S., Sanja (19 July 2021). "Ko su sve počasni građani Beograda?" . beograduzivo.rs (in Serbian) . Retrieved 15 September 2022 .
• [64] Guha 2008 , pp.   400–401.
• [65] "The politician who made no money" . Rediff.com . 6 October 2004. Archived from the original on 4 October 2010 . Retrieved 2 October 2012 .
• [66] Grover 1993 , pp.   23–29, 34; Dhawan 1991 , p.   98.
• [67] Dhawan 1991 .
• [68] Bhabha, Homi J.; Heitler, Walter; Mott, Nevill Francis (1937). "The passage of fast electrons and the theory of cosmic showers" . Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences . 159 (898): 432–458. Bibcode : 1937RSPSA.159..432B . doi : 10.1098/rspa.1937.0082 .
• [69] "60.72 MB – VO Chidambaranar Port Trust" (PDF) . Vocport.com . Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2021 . Retrieved 6 December 2020 .
• [70] Guha 2008 , p.   67; C.P. Srivastava 1995 , p.   48.
• [71] "Mission of the Shastri Institute" . Archived from the original on 8 July 2009 . Retrieved 13 July 2009 .
• [72] Rajeshwar Prasad 1991 , p.   16.
• [73] "Declassify documents on Lal Bahadur Shastri's death, says ex-PM's son" . The Economic Times . Archived from the original on 25 March 2023 . Retrieved 6 December 2020 .
• [74] "Lal Bahadur Shastri Hall of Residence" . Archived from the original on 6 September 2019 . Retrieved 7 June 2020 .
• [75] "Lest we FORGET..." The Hindu . 2 October 2004. Archived from the original on 22 January 2005.
• [76] "Shastri memorial losing out to Sonia security" . The Indian Express . 17 January 2011. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024 . Retrieved 5 September 2011 .
• [77] Varanasi Airport renamed Archived 3 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine . Press Information Bureau India (20 October 2005). Retrieved on 18 December 2018.
• [78] Kurian, Nimi (29 September 2020). "Many colours of his success" . The Hindu . ISSN   0971-751X . Archived from the original on 30 October 2020 . Retrieved 6 December 2020 .
• [79] "Rajya Sabha" . rajyasabha.nic.in . Archived from the original on 29 November 2020 . Retrieved 6 December 2020 .
• [80] "HOMAGE TO LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI | Films Division" . filmsdivision.org . Archived from the original on 10 June 2021 . Retrieved 10 June 2021 .
• [81] Apne Shastri Ji (1986 Video) at IMDb
• [82] "Lal Bahadur Shastri's Death – An Unfinished Story – Trailer" . ZEE5 . Archived from the original on 10 June 2021 . Retrieved 10 June 2021 .
• [83] Giridhar Jha (11 April 2019). "Everybody Loves R.A.W. Material" . Outlook India . Archived from the original on 23 April 2019 . Retrieved 23 April 2019 .
• [84] "Pradhanmantri – Episode 7: Lal Bahadur Shastri" . ABP News . 25 August 2013. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021.
• [85] "Upkar" . ZEE5 . Archived from the original on 29 April 2023 . Retrieved 11 June 2021 .
• [86] Mere Desh Ki Dharti Song | Manoj Kumar Desh Bhakti Songs | Mahendra Kapoor | मेरे देश की धरती on YouTube
• [87] G., Vijay (21 November 2014). "Jayasurya's Lal Bahadur Shastri releases today" . Rediff.com . Archived from the original on 10 June 2021 . Retrieved 10 June 2021 .
• Bakshi, Shiri Ram (1991), Struggle for Independence: Lal Bahadur Shastri , Anmol Publications, ISBN   9788170411420 , archived from the original on 31 March 2024 , retrieved 10 December 2020
• Dhawan, S. K. (1991), Bharat Ratnas, 1954-1991 , Wave Publications
• Grover, Verinder (1993), Political Thinkers of Modern India: Lala Lajpat Rai , Deep & Deep Publications, ISBN   978-81-7100-426-3 , archived from the original on 31 March 2024 , retrieved 15 November 2015
• Guha, Ramachandra (2008), India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy , Pan Macmillan, ISBN   978-0-330-39611-0
• Gupta, U.N. (2003), Indian Parliamentary Democracy , Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, ISBN   978-8126901937
• Prasad, Rajeshwar (1991), Days with Lal Bahadur Shastri: Glimpses from The Last Seven Years , Allied Publishers, ISBN   978-81-7023-331-2 , archived from the original on 31 March 2024 , retrieved 15 November 2015
• Srivastava, C.P. (1995), Lal Bahadur Shastri, Prime Minister of India; a life of truth in politics (1st   ed.), Delhi: Oxford University Press , ISBN   978-0-19-563499-0
• Verma, Krant M. L. (1978), Lalita Ke Ansoo on worldcat , OCLC   60419441
• Chokkan, N. (2020). Lal Bahadur Shastri . Pustaka Digital Media. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024 . Retrieved 10 December 2020 .
• Ankit, Rakesh (26 April 2020). "Lal Bahadur Shastri, 1964–1966: Leader at a Glance" . Studies in Indian Politics . 8 : 39–57. doi : 10.1177/2321023020918062 . S2CID   218999983 .
• Guha, Ramachandra. India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy (2007 ) pp 390–405.
• Mankekar, Dinker Rao. Lal Bahadur A Political Biography (Popular Prakashan; Bombay, 1965) online Archived 20 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine .
• Srivastava, C.P. Lal Bahadur Shastri: a life of truth in politics (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1995) ISBN   0-19-563499-3
• Gujrati, Balwant Singh, ed. A Study of Lal Bahadur Shastri (Sterling Publishers, 1966).
• Pavan Choudary and Anil Shastri . Lal Bahadur Shastri: Lessons in Leadership . Wisdom Village Publications, 2014 ISBN   9789380710365
• John Noyce. Lal Bahadur Shastri: an English-language bibliography . Lulu.com, 2002.
• Shastri, Lal Bahadur. "Selected Speeches of Lal Bahadur Shastri, June 11, 1964 to January 10, 1966." (1974).
• Lal Bahadur Shastri, 'Reflections on Indian politics', Indian Journal of Political Science , vol.23, 1962, pp1–7
• Lal Bahadur Shastri, The Fight For Peace The Long Road To Tashkent (1966) online
• L.P. Singh, Portrait of Lal Bahadur Shastri (Delhi: Ravi Dayal Publishers, 1996) ISBN   81-7530-006-X
• (Sir) C.P. Srivastava, Corruption: India's enemy within (New Delhi: Macmillan India, 2001) chapter 3 ISBN   0-333-93531-4
• India Unbound From Independence to Global Information Age by Shri Gurucharan Das chapter 11
• The spiritual master of Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri was Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra Chakravarty .
• Lal Bahadur Shastri at IMDb
• Tears of Lalita . Krant M. L. Verma.

Wikiwand in your browser!

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.

Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.

Wikiwand for Chrome

Wikiwand for Edge

Wikiwand for Firefox

Early years (1904–1920)

Gandhi's disciple (1921–1945), political career (1947–1964), prime minister (1964–1966), family and personal life, awards and honours, in popular culture, further reading, external links.

• general knowledge

Lal Bahadur Shastri Biography: Early Life, Political Career, Achievements, Awards, Death, Personal Life & More

Lal bahadur shastri biography: lal bahadur shastri was an indian politician who served as the second prime minister of india. he played a significant role in the country's struggle for independence from british colonial rule and later in shaping its post-independence destiny..

Lal Bahadur Shastri Biography: Lal Bahadur Shastri was an Indian politician and statesman who served as the second prime minister of India from 1964 to 1966. He previously served as the sixth home minister of India from 1961 to 1963. His simplicity, integrity and great leadership during the Indo-Pak War of 1965 earned him the nation’s respect.  

The leader known for his slogan, “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” emphasized the importance of both soldiers and farmers to build and develop a nation. This biography on the occasion of Lal Bahadur Shashtri's birthday will shed light on his personal life, political career, achievements and legacy. The day's marks commitment to peace, agriculture, and economic progress continues to be remembered and celebrated in India.

Lal Bahadur Shastri Biography

Lal Bahadur Shastri: Political Career

Lal Bahadur Shastri joined the freedom struggle after being motivated by his teacher, Nishkameshwar Prasad Mishra. Shastri attended a public gathering in Benares that was held by Gandhi and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya in January 1921 while he was in the 10th standard and three months away from his final exams. As a volunteer for the Congress Party, he was a part of the non-cooperation movement.

He discontinued his studies and joined the independence movement. Following Gandhi's teachings, he fought to improve the lives of Harijans as a member of Lala Lajpat Rai's Servants of the People Society (Lok Sevak Mandal). 

Shastri joined the Lala Lajpat Rai-founded Servants of the People Society (Lok Sevak Mandal) as a life member and started working in Muzaffarpur under Gandhi's guidance to improve the lives of the Harijans. Later, he rose to the position of Society President.

Political Career

State minister, cabinet minister.

Shastri was appointed general secretary of the All-India Congress Committee in 1951 when Jawaharlal Nehru was the head of state. He was crucial to the Congress Party's resounding victories in the Indian General Elections in 1952, 1957, and 1962. He successfully ran for the UP Vidhansabha in 1952 from the Soraon North/Phulpur West constituency and won with more than 69% of the vote. Thought to be keeping his position as UP's home minister, Nehru unexpectedly called him to the centre as a minister. On May 13, 1952, Shastri was appointed Minister of Railways and Transport in the First Cabinet of the Indian Republic.

Prime Minister

Nehru passed away on May 27, 1964, while still in power. Shastri became prime minister on June 9 under Congress Party president K. Kamaraj. Shastri was a Nehruvian socialist who was mild-mannered and soft-spoken, which made him appealing to those hoping to stop conservative right-winger Morarji Desai from winning office.

In his first broadcast as prime minister, on 11 June 1964, Shastri stated:

“There comes a time in the life of every nation when it stands at the crossroads of history and must choose which way to go. But for us, there need be no difficulty or hesitation, no looking to right or left. Our way is straight and clear the building up of a socialist democracy at home with freedom and prosperity for all, and the maintenance of world peace and friendship with all nations.”

List of Mahatma Gandhi Memorials

Shastri married Lalita Devi on May 16, 1928. The couple had four boys and two daughters, including Kusum Shastri, Hari Krishna Shastri, who was the oldest daughter, and Suman Shastri, who was the oldest son. Shastri, who was 5 feet 2 inches tall, always wore a dhoti. The only time he wore pyjamas was for a 1961 banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan in honour of the Queen of the United Kingdom.

On January 11, 1966, Lal Bahadur Shastri passed away in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (then the Soviet Union), just one day after agreeing to a peace accord that put an end to the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War. He was honoured as a national hero, and the Vijay Ghat memorial was built in his honour. He also received the Bharat Ratna posthumously.

Get here current GK and GK quiz questions in English and Hindi for India , World, Sports and Competitive exam preparation. Download the Jagran Josh Current Affairs App .

• What is the popular slogan by Lal Bahadur Shastri? + Lal Bahadur Shastri gave the slogan, 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan.'
• When did Lal Bahadur Shastri become Railway Minister? + Lal Bahadur Shastri became Prime Minister on 13 May 1952.
• Moon Rising Time Today
• Chand Kitne Baje Niklega
• Haryana CM List 2024
• Karwa Chauth 2024 Date
• Diwali 2024 Date
• Who is Noel Tata
• Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha 2024
• India PM List 2024
• Bank Holidays in October 2024
• WTC Points Table 2025
• Personalities of India
• Important Days
• Famous Personalities of the World

Latest Education News

JEE Mains 2025 Exam Date LIVE Updates: NTA Exam Calendar soon for NEET, CUET at nta.ac.in

MP Board 5th, 8th Result 2024 OUT: रोल नंबर और नाम से यहाँ देखें एमपी बोर्ड री-एग्जाम के नतीजे rskmp.in पर

SBI PO 2024 Notification Live Updates: Probationary Officer Recruitment Expected Soon at sbi.co.in, Check Details

Special Trains 2024: दिवाली और छठ पूजा के लिए स्पेशल ट्रेनों का ऐलान, चेक करें रूट और टाइमिंग

8th Pay Commission: 18 हजार की जगह कितनी होगी मिनिमम बेसिक सैलरी और कितनी बढ़ेगी पेंशन? जानें

हरियाणा के किस जिले में है उत्तर भारत की सबसे बड़ी कपड़ा मार्केट, यहां जानें

Kerala PSC Clerk Answer Key 2024 OUT at keralapsc.gov.in: Download LDC Malappuram Question Paper Here

NEET 2025: Check Toppers Tips for 100% Success in Exam

Top 10 Most Populated Nations of the World (2024)

Haryana Board Class 10 Sanskrit Model Paper With Solution 2024-25: Download FREE PDF

5 Months ISC Class 12th Physics Study Plan for 2025 Board Exam, Week-wise Topics

PM Modi Launches Mission Karmayogi for Govt. Employees, Aims to Leverage AI for Aspirational India

NEET UG 2025: Top 10 Tips To Crack NEET Without Coaching

Picture Puzzle IQ Test: Find the mistake in the picture in 5 seconds!

CTET Application Form Correction 2024 Out: Direct Link, Dates, Changes Allowed

Government Jobs 2024 LIVE: Employment News Oct (19-25) 2024, ADRE Grade 4, Notifications, Admit Card and much more

Rajasthan CET Previous Year Question Paper for 12th Level Exam: Download PDF

Jiwaji University Result 2024 OUT: यहां देखें MPhil, MCA, MBA, BCom, BCA, BA, Bsc, BEd, MEd सहित अन्य UG, PG वार्षिक & सेमेस्टर मार्कशीट PDF

Rajasthan CET Syllabus 2024 for Graduation Level, Download PDF

Jiwaji University Result 2024 OUT at jiwaji.edu; Direct Link to Download UG, PG Marksheet PDF

• Lal Bahadur Shastri

Lal Bahadur Shastri (born 1904) succeeded Jawaharlal Nehru as Prime Minister of India in 1964. Though eclipsed by such stalwarts of the Congress party as Kamaraj (the Kingmaker) and Morarji Desai, Finance Minister in Nehru’s government, Shastri emerged as the consensus candidate in the midst of party warfare. He had not been in power long before he had to attend to the difficult matter of Pakistani aggression, as represented by India, along the Rann of Kutch; and though a cease-fire under the auspices of the United Nations put a temporary halt to the fighting, the scene of conflict soon shifted to the more troubled spot of Kashmir. While Pakistan claimed that a spontaneous uprising against the Indian occupation of Kashmir had taken place, India charged Pakistan with fomenting sedition inside its territory and sending armed raiders into Jammu and Kashmir from Azad Kashmir. Shastri promised to meet force with force, and by early September the second Indo-Pakistan war had commenced.

Though the Indian army reached the outskirts of Lahore, Shastri agreed to withdraw Indian forces. He had always been identified with the interests of the working class and peasants since the days of his involvement with the freedom struggle, and now his popularity agree. But his triumph was short-lived: invited in January 1966 by the Russian Premier, Aleksei Kosygin, to Tashkent for a summit with General Muhammad Ayub Khan, President of Pakistan and commander of the nation’s armed forces, Shastri suffered a fatal heart attack hours after signing a treaty where India and Pakistan agreed to not meddle in each other’s internal affairs and “not to have recourse to force and to settle their disputes through peaceful means. Shastri’s body was brought back to India, and a memorial, not far from the national memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, was built to honor him. It says, in fitting testimony to Shastri, “ Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan ” (“Honor the Soldier, Honor the Farmer”). He is, however, a largely forgotten figure, another victim of the engineering of India’s social memory by Indira Gandhi and her clan.