Prime Ministers of India – Lal Bahadur Shastri

Posted by on Mar 13, 2009 in Indian Politicians

Lal Bahadur Shastri is perhaps one of the most liked Prime Ministers of India. A former freedom fighter, L.B. Shastri has remained in the hearts of millions of Indians as a perfectly clean leader. Such was his honesty that he had offered to resign as the Railway Minister in the 1950s because of taking moral responsibility for a railway accident that happened in Mahbubnagar which caused more than 100 deaths.

Shastri’s slogan of  ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ is still very popular among the Indians. Shastri is regarded as the second Prime Minister of India but technically he is the third as Gulzarilal Nanda had served as an interim Prime Minister after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru.

Shastri had led India against the covert Pakistani efforts of mass insurgence under the name Operation Gibraltar which was followed by the 1965 War. India had come out of the crisis and had defeated Pakistan’s malicious plans. Shastri and the Government managed to boost the morale of the soldiers and also the farmers for increased food production to help the country remain secure and help the young nation grow.

Lal Bahadur Shastri had died in Tashkent (in the then USSR) just the day after signing a ceasefre declaration with the Pakistan President Muhammad Ayub Khan. Shastri was declared dead on 11th January, 1966 because of a heart attack. However, there is wide belief in India that the cause of his death was unnatural and that his food was poisoned. After his death, L.B.Shastri was posthumously awarded with the ‘Bharat Ratna’ (India’s highest Civilian Award). His Samadhi (memorial) was named as ‘Vijay Ghat’ in Delhi.

Below are some basic details about Lal Bahadur Shastri (Born as Lal Bahadur Srivastava):

Place and Date of Birth: 2 October 1904, Mughalsarai, United Provinces, British India (Lal Bahadur Shastri shares the same birthday as Mahatma Gandhi)

Died On: 11 January 1966, Tashkent, USSR (Now in Uzbekistan)

Religion: Hinduism

Political Party: Indian National Congress

Tenure of Prime Ministership: 9 June 1964 – 11 January 1966

Parents’ Names: Sharada Prasad (Father) and Ramdulari Devi (Mother)

Wife’s Name: Lalita Devi

Children’s Names: Has two sons – Anil Shastri and Sunil Shastri

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