Former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri was one of those great Indians who has left an indelible impression on our collective life. Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri's contribution to our public life were unique in that they were made in the closest proximity to the life of the common man in India.
L B Shastri was known for his honesty and humility throughout his life. He was the first person to be posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, and a memorial "Vijay Ghat" was built for him in Delhi. Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri was looked upon by Indians as one of their own, one who shared their ideals, hopes and aspirations. His achievements were looked upon not as the isolated achievements of an individual but of our society collectively.
Lal Bahadur Shastri 2 October 1904 – 11 January 1966) was the 2nd Prime Minister of the Republic of India and a leader of the Indian National Congress party. Deeply impressed and influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, he became a loyal follower, first of Mahatma Gandhi, and then of Jawaharlal Nehru.
He led the country during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965. His slogan of "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan" became very popular during the war and is remembered even today. The cause of death was said to be a heart attack but there are various reasons to think that it was a planned murder by the CIA.
Shastri took a deep interest in the freedom struggle, and began to study its history and the works of several of its noted personalities, including those of Swami Vivekananda, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gandhi and Annie Besant. He was soon arrested and jailed, but was then let off as he was still a minor.
Shastri's immediate supervisor was a former Benares Hindu University lecturer named J.B. Kripalani, who would become one of the most prominent leaders of the Indian independence movement and among Gandhi's closest followers. Shastri graduated with a first-class degree in philosophy and ethics from the Vidyapith in 1925. He was given the title Shastri ("scholar").
The title was a bachelor's degree awarded by the Vidyapith, but it stuck as part of his name. Shastri discontinued Nehru's socialist economic policies with central planning.
He promoted the White Revolution a national campaign to increase the production and supply of milk by supporting the Amul milk co-operative of Anand, Gujarat and creating the National Dairy Development Board.
Lal Bahudur Shastri died in Tashkent, at 02:00 on the day after signing the Tashkent Declaration, reportedly due to a heart attack, but people allege conspiracy behind the death. He was the first Prime Minister of India to die overseas.
