One of the most powerful political leaders India ever had, Lal Bahadur Shastri was the second Prime Minister of India succeeding Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964. Besides Mahatma Gandhi, October 2 also marks the birth anniversary of Shastri.
Here are some interesting facts about the man who emphasized the idea of unity in the country.
- Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on October 2, 1904, as Lal Bahadur Varma. The title ‘Shastri’ was given to him when he graduated from Kashi Vidyapeeth in Varanasi.
- Shastri went to jail at the age of 17 for participating in Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement. However, he was let off for being a minor.
- He also took part in the Salt March, for which he was jailed for two years.
- Shastri introduced the provision of female drivers and conductors in public transportation after being appointed as the Minister of Police and Transport in independent India.
- During his tenure as the Minister of Police, Shastri introduced the rule of spraying jet water to disperse crowd instead of lathi charge
- Shastri promoted the White Revolution in India to increase milk production.
- He also promoted the Green Revolution in the country to increase food grain production
- His slogan ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ became very popular during the India-Pakistan War of 1965.
- He passed away in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on January 11, 1966, after signing the Tashkent Declaration with the Pakistani president, Muhammad Ayub Khan, to end the 1965 war.
- Shastri was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1966 after his death.
