Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on 2nd October 1904 in a Hindu middle class family. Though his family wasn’t even remotely associated with the Indian freedom struggle, Shastri Ji developed keen interest in the freedom movement and felt the urge to do something for his country. He participated in various freedom movements and fought for his country selflessly. He became one of the most prominent Indian leaders of his times. Shastri was not only loved and respected by the general public but also by the ministers. No wonder, he went on to become the second Prime Minister of India.
Lal Bahadur Shastri – Family Life
Shastri was born in a Hindu Kayastha family. His father, Sharada Prasad Srivastava was a school teacher who later attained the job of a clerk at the Allahabad revenue office while his mother, Ramdulari Devi was a house wife. Shastri had two sisters, Kailashi Devi and Sundari Devi. Unfortunately, Shastri’s father died when he was just 1 year old. Along with his mother and sisters, he shifted to his maternal grandfather’s place where he was raised.
He married Lalita Devi in May 1928. Lalita hailed from Mirzapur, U.P. It was an arranged marriage that was fixed by their parents. Together, they were blessed with six children – four sons and two daughters.
Mahatma Gandhi Served as an Inspiration
When Lal Bahadur Shastri was still in school, he attended a meeting held by Mahatma Gandhi and was deeply touched by his ideologies. He was impressed by the way Gandhi ji created a powerful impact on the British without any agitation or violence. This was a major inspiration for him and he began participating in the movements held by Gandhi ji.
The first step he took in this direction was by quitting his school when he was in tenth standard. He did so as Gandhi ji urged students to participate in the non-cooperation movement by opting out of the government schools. Then, there was no stopping. He participated in numerous protests and was even jailed for the same. However, this did not dither his spirit to participate in the freedom struggle.
Thus, Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri did not only share their birth date but also shared the same ideologies.
Lal Bahadur Shastri’s Political Career
Shastri was a respected member of the Congress party and held many positions of prominence during his political career. Shastri became the Minister of Police and Transport of United Province (now Uttar Pradesh) as India attained independence on 15th August 1947.
He served the nation with dedication during his tenure. He handled various critical situations with intelligence and employed new ideas in both the departments. In the year 1951, Shastri Ji became the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee. He served this role efficiently. He went on to become the Union Minister of Railways on 13th May 1952.
After the unfortunate death of Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, Shastri was made the Prime Minister of India. He was loved as the Prime Minister of the country. He worked for the social and economic development of India. The way he handled the Indo-Pak war situation was commendable.
Shastri Ji died suddenly after signing the Tashkent Pact with Pakistan in 1966. This news raised many eyebrows. It was said that he was poisoned however this wasn’t confirmed as his post mortem wasn’t done.
Conclusion
Shastri was an honest political leader. Shastri completely agreed with the Gandhian ideologies that served as an inspiration for him to join the freedom struggle. He followed Gandhi ji and participated actively in the various freedom movements launched by him. He was also quite close to Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru and together they inspired numerous Indians to join the freedom struggle.
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