LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI (1904 - 1966)
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Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on 2nd October 1904 in Mughalsarai near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
His father was a school teacher who died when Shastri was not yet two years old.
The name ‘Shastri’ was actually the degree he was awarded by the Kashi Vidyapith Institute.
He had graduated in 1925 with a degree in philosophy and ethics.
He was inspired by Gandhi, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Annie Besant, Swami Vivekananda, among others.
When he was in the tenth standard, he attended a public meeting in Varanasi which was called by Gandhi and Madan Mohan Malaviya for persuading people to join the non-cooperation movement.
In 1928, he became an active member of the Indian National Congress.
He took part in the Salt Satyagraha in 1930.
He also participated in the Quit India movement and the individual Satyagraha.
He spent a total of seven years in jail.
When the interim government was formed in 1946, he was made the Parliamentary Secretary of UP and then became the Home Minister.
He voluntarily resigned from the position of Railway Minister after a railway accident in which many people died.
When Jawaharlal Nehru died in office in 1964, Shastri became the Prime Minister.
His support for the Amul milk co-operative and Dr. Verghese Kurien led to the White Revolution in India.
It was during Indo-Pak war of 1965 that he gave India the slogan, “Jai Jawan! Jai Kissan!”
Under the auspices of the USSR, a meeting was held at Tashkent, USSR (now in Uzbekistan) from 4th to 10th January 1966.
On 10 January 1966, India and Pakistan signed the Tashkent Declaration to bring peace.
Shastri died mysteriously in Tashkent after signing the agreement.
It was reported that he died of a heart attack but there have been conspiracy theories on his death speculating that he was assassinated.
His memorial in Delhi where he was cremated is called Vijay Ghat.
He was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1966.
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