Whenever we discuss the simplest personalities in the history of India, former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's name comes at the top. His simplicity was the biggest inspiration for the people. There are many stories of Shastri's life, which are still a source of inspiration for the people. Let's take a look at some important events in the life of Lal Bahadur Shastri of India.
Used to cross several kilometers of Ganges river to reach school
Born on 2 October 1904 in Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh, India's second prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri was so talented since childhood that he often made full notes while standing outside the classroom as a punishment, despite his late arrival at Harishchandra Inter College. He used to go to school every day after crossing the Ganga river several kilometers with his school bag on his head. He was deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi's thoughts and lifestyle.
Joined the non-cooperation movement at the age of 11
Mahatma Gandhi once strongly condemned the Indian kings who were supporting British rule in India. Shastri was so impressed with it that he decided to do something for the country at the age of 11 only. When he was sixteen, Mahatma Gandhi called upon the countrymen to join the Non-Cooperation Movement. Lal Bahadur Shastri decided to give up his studies on this call. The family was strongly against his decision to quit his education, but Shastri did not listen to anyone and through the non-cooperation movement became an unwavering part of the freedom struggle of the country. After joining the freedom struggle, he led several insurgent operations, and at various times between the years 1921 to 1946, he was imprisoned in British jails for nine years.
Appeal to keep fast
After the formation of the Congress government, Shastri played a constructive role in the governance of the country. He was also a minister of the without department the then Prime Minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru had Railway, Transport and Communications, Commerce and Industry, and Home Ministry with him, despite being ill. He was also looking after the matters related to the Congress party. When he became the Prime Minister of the country in 1964, India imported a lot of food items and depended on North America as part of a scheme for food grains.
The country suffered severe drought during the 1965 war with Pakistan. At that time, many unannounced conditions were being imposed by the US for sending wheat to India under one of its laws, which Shastri refused to accept, saying that we will be hungry but will not compromise our self-respect. After that, through AIR, he appealed to the public not to cook at least once a week and keep fast. His appeal had a magical effect on the people of the country.
One day Lal Bahadur Shastri, called all the members of his family for dinner and said that the stove will not burn in the evening for a week from tomorrow. Children will get milk and fruits and keep fast. After a week, he called them all again and said that I just wanted to see that if my family can skip a meal for a week, then my big family i.e. the country can also go hungry at least once a week. His biggest feature was that he used to do many times more than himself and his family than what he told others to do. He believed that if he wants to starve, the family comes first from the country. He was a person who, after suffering himself, was happy and satisfied to see others happy.
War against poverty and ignorance
Lal Bahadur Shastri said that the most important for our strength is to establish unity among the people. He often used to say that instead of fighting among ourselves for the progress of the country, we have to fight poverty, disease, and ignorance.
'Give 10 rupees to a needy'
There are many such stories about Lal Bahadur Shastri, which show his simplicity, honesty, patriotism, honesty, and self-respect. During the freedom struggle in the 1940s, 'The Servants of India Society' of Lala Lajpat Rai provided financial assistance to the families of freedom fighters with a poor background.
It was at the same time that Shastri was in jail. He wrote a letter from jail to his wife Lalitha and asked if they were getting money from the institution on time and whether such amount is sufficient to meet the needs of the family? The wife replied that she gets fifty rupees per month, out of which only forty rupees are spent, she saves the remaining amount. After receiving this reply from his wife, Lal Bahadur Shastri wrote a letter to the Society, in which he thanked that from next time his family should be sent only forty rupees and the remaining ten rupees should be given to help the needy.
'Fourteen Kilometer Private Use'
When Lal Bahadur Shastri became the Prime Minister in 1964, he also got an Impala Chevrolet car along with the government residence but he used it very rarely. The vehicle was taken out only when a state guest arrived. Once, Shastri's son Sunil Shastri took out this government car for any personal work without asking him.
When Lal Bahadur Shashti came to know about this, he called the driver and asked how many kilometers did the car run? The driver said, fourteen kilometers! After that Shastri instructed him to write in the record, 'Fourteen kilometers private use'. If that was not enough, Shashti called his wife Lalitha and instructed her to deposit money in the government fund at the rate of seven paise per kilometer.
The mystery of Shastri's death remains intact even today
He went to Tashkent to sign the Tashkent MoU to end the 1965 war with Pakistan. At that time, he was well, but immediately after that on the night of 11 January 1966, there was sudden news that he had died of a heart attack. However, the mystery regarding his suspicious death remains to date.
