‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kissan’

Lal Bahadur Shastri

(1904 – 1966)

In this vast country of ours, people profess different religions, dress differently and observe different customs; but we are one nation; the history of our struggle for independence and ort faith in our future development are our common bonds. – Lal Bahadur Shastri

Lal Bahadur Shastri was a great nationalist warrior and Indian political leader who became the second Prime Minister of India. He was greatly influenced by the principles of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru and played a key role in the freedom struggle of the country. He was sent to prison seven times and spent nine long years in various prisons during the course of his Indian independence battle. A devout Gandhian. A man of small stature but with a strong mental fibre. He was an example of simplicity, altruism and impartiality. Having traits of a messenger of peace and utmost patriotism, he had a great vision for India as a developed country.

Lal Bahadur was born in Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh, a hundred years ago on 2 October 1904 to Sharada Prasad and Ramdulari Devi. His father was a clerk in the Revenue Office at Allahabad and led a life of straightforwardness and integrity. Lal Bahadur lost his father when he was one years old after which he, along with his sisters, were raised by his mother at his maternal house. At the age of 10, he moved to Varanasi for his high school education. At the age of 17, he left school influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s plea to the youth of the country to boycott Government schools and colleges, courts, and offices as part of the Non-cooperation movement in 1921. He was arrested during the non-violence movement but later released considering his young age. He joined Kashi Vidya Peeth, Varanasi to study philosophy and earned the degree ‘Shastri’ in 1926. He joined ‘The Servants of the People Society’ founded by Lala Rajat Rai to prepare the youth to devote their lives in the service of the country. Lal Bahadur Shastri married Lalitha Devi 1927 which was a simple ceremony where he accepted only a ‘charkha’ and a few yards of ‘khadi’ as dowry. He belonged to the ‘Kayastha’ caste; he dropped his surname ‘Srivastava’ from his name which he believed would show his caste.

In 1930, Lal Bahadur Shastri joined Gandhiji’s Civil Disobedience Movement and directed people not to pay land revenue and taxes to the government. He was arrested and imprisoned for two and half years for his involvement in the movement. In 1940, the Congress launched ‘Individual Satyagraha’ during which Lal Bahadur Shastri was arrested again and imprisoned for another one year. Upon release, he actively participated in the ‘Quit India Movement’ by Gandhiji on 8 August 1942 demanding the British to quit India and was arrested. He was released in 1945 along with other freedom fighters. Lal Bahadur Shastri’s administrative talent and organisation skills made him exceptional during the provincial elections in 1946 and was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to Pandit Govind Vallabh, the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. He was later appointed as the Minister of Police and Transport in Pant’s cabinet in 1947. Lal Bahadur Shastri became the General Secretary of the Congress Party during the first general elections after India became a Republic. He was appointed as the Minister of Railways and Transport at the Central Cabinet by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1952. He resigned from the post in 1956 taking moral responsibility for a railway accident that happened in 1956. He became the Minister of Transport and Communications and later the Minster of Commerce and Industry in the next general elections. In 1961, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the Home Minister and played a key role in maintain the internal security of the country during the Indo-China war of 1962.

Lal Bahadur Shastri addressing the gathering on Dr. K. S. Krishnan’s 60^th birthday, 1958

Lal Bahadur Shastri was unanimously elected as the Prime Minister of India following the death of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964. India was going through a difficult period then with huge challenges such as food shortages and security issues with Pakistan. Pakistan attacked India in 1965; Lal Bahadur Shastri rose to the occasion and handled the crisis competently. He led India to victory in the Indo-Pak war and Shastriji’s leadership was applauded internationally. 10 January 1966 was an instrumental day in the life of Lal Bahadur Shastri. It was on this day that he signed a treaty between India and Pakistan where India agreed to return to Pakistan all the territories occupied by it during the war and it was on the same night that he succumbed to cardiac arrest leaving a glorious life of supreme patriotism.

Shastriji set forth a number of measures in view of making India a better nation and tackled many challenges such as food shortage, unemployment, poverty, etc. during his tenure in various ministries. He was the first Transport Minister who employed women conductors and the Minister of Police who ordered the police to use jets of water replacing ‘lathis’ to disperse masses. He worked relentlessly towards prevention of corruption during his tenure as a Union Minister in 1961. His Prime Ministership showcased effective policies in improving the economy of India. Lal Bahadur Shastri played a fundamental role in resolving the Madras anti-Hindi agitation in 1965 regarding the language policy of India. He promoted White Revolution, the most famous national campaign of increasing milk production by setting up the National Dairy Development Board and supporting many dairy companies. His efforts and support to overcome the food shortage all over India during the 22 day long Indo-Pak war of 1965 was extraordinary. He requested the people of the country to give up one meal of the day on their own will to save food for the people living in the affected area. He promoted Green Revolution and coined the national slogan ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kissan’ (Hail the Soldier, Hail the farmer) to motivate the soldiers and farmers of the country. He had also paid keen attention in bringing effective foreign policies such as maintaining a close relationship with the Soviet Union, increasing the defence budget of armed forces after the military ties of Pakistan and Chinese People’s Republic, the Srimavo – Shastri Pact with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanks considering the status of Indian Tamils in the then Ceylon, etc.

His life achievements as a true statesman were awarded India’s highest civilian award, ‘Bharat Ratna’ posthumously. His life of purity and honesty is a great source of motivation to all Indians. Unquestionably, Lal Bahadur Shastri belongs to the race of heroes of the country and will always remain as a glittering star in the history of India.

That loyalty to the country comes ahead of all other loyalties. And this is an absolute loyalty, since one cannot weight it in terms of what one receives. - Lal Bahadur Shastri

Jai Hind.

Reviving the Fading Spirit

Patriotism is a pious sentiment that holds the structure of a nation and grounded on the sacrifice of valiant leaders. India is a land of martyrs where every drip of the freedom fighters’ blood has battled for the nation. Our country has been disposed to foreign powers for centuries and on every occasion, there have been true patriots who struggled selflessly to regain our motherland. Starting with the Rajput leaders Rana Sanga and Maharana Pratap of Mewar, Marathi and Punjabi patriots Shivaji and Guru Gobind Singh where the latter sacrificed all his four sons at the altar of the nation, the Sikh military commander Banda Bairagi to the battle against British regime, India has seen innumerable exemplary patriots and martyrs. The martyrdom of Baba Tilka Manjhi, the first Adivasi leader who took arms against the British in Bihar in 1747 created vibes in Karnataka where Rani Chennamma, Queen of Kittur and her comrades sacrificed their lives for the cause of the nation in 1829. The movement spread to Maharashtra and later to the North when the whole nation followed Nana Sahab, Mangal Pandey, Tantya Tope and Rani Lakshmibai in the first war of independence in 1857. India witnessed a torrent of patriotism based on violence until 1931 when Bhagat Singh, Shivram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar were hanged in Lahore Jail. Then came an era of intellectual patriots such as Mahatma Gandhi, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, etc. leading the non-violence movement. Either by violence or non-violence methods, the patriots had only one goal - to have a free and peaceful motherland. It is because of their self-sacrificing struggle and devotion that India is still intact despite her diverse culture and heritage.

Sixty years have passed since we attained independence from the British and time has eroded our patriotic sentiments already. Many of us do not care about the freedom that we now enjoy and often take it for granted. Patriotism has confined to a formality – a gesture of saluting the national flag or a freeze stature of 52 seconds during the national anthem or maybe even with a cold heart with no gratitude to our brave leaders because of whom we live with dignity and freedom. Moral values such as honesty, integrity, bravery, nationalism, respect for each other, social responsibility, etc. has been surpassed by crime, corruption, terrorism, violence, religious intolerance, inequality, etc. Today, we lack true nationalists such as Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhagat Singh, Jawaharlal Nehru, etc. who once poured the fervour of patriotism among the teeming millions. We hardly see such inspiring personalities now and find any role models in our present leaders, regrettably. The country witnesses a new scandal every other day tarnishing our national character and looting the public money. The spirit of patriotism and respect for our freedom fighters is totally lost in the country.

Patriotism should not be limited to a feeling at the event of a cricket match or a terrorist attack. The thoughts of national pride and ‘desh bhakthi’ should be in our blood and mind always. We should revive patriotism when we cast our vote in the elections, when an underprivileged asks for a rupee, when we see garbage being thrown on the road, and at all social evils that deters the harmony of our countrymen. Inculcating patriotism in new generation is essential and should begin from schools. It is in these educational institutions where the young come together crossing the borders of religion, caste and culture. Children from a very young age should be taught to respect our National leaders, National Anthem, National Pledge, National Flag and the Constitution. They should be educated and set to appreciate our history, art, culture, and heritage. Parents should make sure that their kids do not miss a flag hoisting session on national days and explain to them the importance of the day. Kids should be steered to have a sense of belonging and contribution and respect other religions and their beliefs. They should be directed to watch national ceremonies telecasted on television that happen at the Indian capital. It is these little things that would make a difference in the long run in producing responsible and devoted citizens of the country.

“Bharat Mata”, painting by P. S. Ramachandran Rao, 1937

The picture of Bharat Mata, a symbol of national integrity, portrays our eminent past and beholds a sense of belonging to our glorious tradition. The personification of India as Bharat Mata was first conceived by Abanindranath Tagore in 1905. The robe of Bharat Mata represents the contours of India. The colours of her saree – saffron, white and green – signifies the colours of Indian National Flag. She cradles the national heroes of freedom struggle and shelters the fighters who led the people to independence. The heroes include Balgangadhar Tilak, Justice Ranade, A. O. Hume, etc. and the leaders of the masses include Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, Sarojini Naidu, Chandrasekhar Azad, and others. One of the first and largest Bharat Mata temple was established in 1936 in Varanasi where a large map of ‘Akhanda Bharat’ is idolised. 

The backbone of India is her people; to serve the country means to care for each other. The strength of India lies in the ability to unite the varied masses to a common strong force. Patriotism is not a passive love for the country but lies in the active work for the progress of the country. Together with moving forward to improve the standard of living of our personal lives, let us also think about the society we live in and address social problems. Let ‘sharing’ be our strategy and let it bring us together irrespective of our different religions, caste, culture, languages, and regions. Let our dream be to see an India with responsible citizens with good leadership and nationalist passion. Let us revive the spirit of patriotism in us, love our country, rally behind the tricolour, respect her people and build a better India; it would be the biggest honour we could gift our freedom fighters.

Jai Hind.