He died at Tashkent in 1966 before he could repay the loan. The Bank wrote to his widow Lalita Shastri for repayment of the loan of Rs 5,000 which her husband owed. The lady promised to pay back in instalments from her family pension. She repaid every Rupee of the Rs 5,000.
The fiat car still stands at his home, reminding of the era of a different breed of men.
Incidently, when his son was given an out of turn promotion by a department, Shastri immediately had it reversed.
When Shastri filled the form for admission of his son to St Stephen's college, in the column about himself he wrote, "Government Servant". During his Prime Ministership, his son once stood in line with other unemployed to register for a job at the Employment Exchange. The clerk enquired as to what was his father. The son replied, "Prime Minister of India"
Lal Bahadur was a strong man. When Pakistan sent infiltrators in Kashmir, he said in his speech from the Red Fort; "हम ईंट का जवाब पत्थर से देंगे" (Hum eent ka jawab pathar se denge)
General Ayub told his generals, "यह छोटा क्या करेगा?" (Yeh chota kya karega?). His patton tank division invaded Jammu region and raced to cut off India's road lifeline to Kashmir.
Lal Bahadur ordered a full counter attack on Pakistan. The Indian Army and IAF crossed the International border.
Xavier Dias At
my school condolense meet that year one of our teachers told us that
when he was asked what car he wanted his reply was "the cheapest one".
एक प्रधान सेवक यह भी
भारत में एक ऐसे प्रधानमंत्री भी हुए जिन्होंने 1965 में अपनी फ़िएट कार खरीदने के लिए पंजाब नेशनल बैंक से पांच हजार का ऋण लिया था। मगर ऋण की एक भी क़िस्त नहीं चुका पाए। 1966 में देहांत हो जाने पर बैंक ने नोटिस भेजा तो उनकी पत्नी ने अपनी पेंशन के पैसे से कार के लिए लिया गया ऋण चुकाने का वायदा किया और फिर धीरे-धीरे बैंक के पैसे अदा किए। हम बात कर रहे हैं प्रधानमंत्री लाल बहादुर शास्त्री की। उनकी पत्नी ललिता शास्त्री ने भी उनकी ईमानदार जिंदगी में उनका पूरा साथ दिया। शास्त्री जी की यह कार जनपथ स्थित उनकी कोठी में आज भी मौजूद है।अब इस कोठी में लाल बहादुर शास्त्री संग्रहालय बना दिया गया है। इस संग्रहालय में अनेक ऐसी चीजें प्रदर्शित हैं जो उनकी ईमानदारी को दर्शाती हैं। लोग यहां आकर उनकी सादगी और ईमानदारी भरी जिंदगी के बारे में जानकर भावुक हो जाते हैं।
ऐसी एक घटना के बारे में बताना जरूरी हो जाता है। यह बात 1962 के करीब की है। उस समय शास्त्री जी अखिल भारतीय कांग्रेस कमेटी के महासचिव थे। उस समय देश के प्रधानमंत्री पंडित जवाहर लाल नेहरू थे। उन्हें पार्टी के किसी महत्वपूर्ण काम से कश्मीर जाना था। पंडित नेहरू ने उनसे जाने के लिए कहा तो वह लगातार मना कर रहे थे। पंडित नेहरू भी चकरा गए कि वह ऐसा क्यों कर रहे हैं। पंडित नेहरू उनका बहुत सम्मान करते थे। बाद में उन्होंने वहां नहीं जाने के बारे में कारण पूछ ही लिया। पहले तो वह बताने को राजी नहीं हुए, मगर बहुत कहने पर उन्होंने जो कुछ कहा उसे सुनकर पंडित नेहरू की भी आंखों में आंसू आ गए। शास्त्री जी ने बताया कि कश्मीर में ठंड बहुत पड़ रही है और मेरे पास गर्म कोट नहीं है। पंडित नेहरू ने उसी समय अपना कोट उन्हें दे दिया और यह बात किसी को नहीं बताई। लाल बहादुर शास्त्री जब प्रधानमंत्री बने तो इसी कोट को पहनते रहे। इस प्रकार दो प्रधानमंत्रियों ने पहना यह कोट। उनके लिए समर्पित इस संग्रहालय में यह कोट प्रदर्शित है। इसी संग्रहालय में रखे गए हैं प्रधानमंत्री का टूटा कंघा, टूटी टार्च, दाढ़ी बनानेवाली सामान्य मशीन, सामान्य ब्रश व अन्य सामान, जो वहां पहुंचने वाले हर व्यक्ति को चौंकाते हैं कि देश को ऐसा भी प्रधानमंत्री मिल चुका है। इसी संग्रहालय में उनका शयन कक्ष है जिसमें एक तख्त और कुछ कुर्सियां मौजूद हैं। जो कहीं से भी किसी विशिष्ट व्यक्ति की नज़र नहीं आतीं। ऐसे थे लाल बहादुर शास्त्री।
पर... उन्होंने नौटंकी कभी नहीं की !
(आधार: जुगल किशोर पँवार की एक fb पोस्ट)
...
General V.K. Singh
Lal Bahadur Shastri doing office work in Airplane. Along with him is his wife, Lalita Devi.
Most of us would have studied about Shastri in our school textbooks in which we were taught that he was initially a freedom fighter, then became prime minister after Nehru, and later died in Tashkent. Thats all we know. So, let me share some interesting facts about him here..
October 2nd. Whose birthday is it? Yeah correct. Also, it is Shastri's birthday on same day and most of us dont even know it, let alone celebrate.
If you combine dedication, ethics, honesty, integrity, responsibility, & austerity, you get Shastri!! The above photo is the best example to show his dedication towards his job. Can we think of today's politician doing his job in flight like this? Forget flight, do they do their jobs with this much of dedication even in their office?
Want to see how our politicians work? Watch this 1 min clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu8uqMEmyRE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu8uqMEmyRE
Talking about integrity & responsibility.
There was a major railway accident sometime in 1950s. Being the railway minister at that time, he took moral responsibility and offered his resignation (However, Nehru did not accept it). That shows the moral standards he maintained.
There was a major railway accident sometime in 1950s. Being the railway minister at that time, he took moral responsibility and offered his resignation (However, Nehru did not accept it). That shows the moral standards he maintained.
Talking about honesty and ethics.
During freedom struggle, when he was jailed by the British, he was informed that his daughter was sick. So he asked for 15 days permission and was granted on the condition that he will not participate in freedom struggle in these 15 days. By the time he reached his home, his daughter had died. After performing the funeral for 3 days, he immediately returned back to jail inspite of having 12 more days of freedom from jail!!
Similarly, one day, while in jail, he was told that his son was sick and this time he got a permission of 7 days of leave from jail. He stayed with his son all the 7 days. The son had still not recovered, but Shastri went back to jail to keep up his word!! (Fortunately, the son survived)
During freedom struggle, when he was jailed by the British, he was informed that his daughter was sick. So he asked for 15 days permission and was granted on the condition that he will not participate in freedom struggle in these 15 days. By the time he reached his home, his daughter had died. After performing the funeral for 3 days, he immediately returned back to jail inspite of having 12 more days of freedom from jail!!
Similarly, one day, while in jail, he was told that his son was sick and this time he got a permission of 7 days of leave from jail. He stayed with his son all the 7 days. The son had still not recovered, but Shastri went back to jail to keep up his word!! (Fortunately, the son survived)
Talking about austerity.
He is popularly called "The politician who made no money". He was born in a poor family, he lived his life in simplicity and austerity. And he died as a poor man. He really knew what austerity meant.
He is popularly called "The politician who made no money". He was born in a poor family, he lived his life in simplicity and austerity. And he died as a poor man. He really knew what austerity meant.
These are the kind of leaders we need today who can demonstrate what real austerity means. Not by someone who boards a train for the first time in his life at the age of 38, and spends a night in huts to prove that he is asture. We need austerity lessons from people who have really experienced poverty so that they understand what real poverty means. Not by someone who has zillions in swiss banks and talks about eradicating poverty here.
There is a nice article with more thought provoking facts about Shastri written by his press advisor:
http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/oct/06spec1.htm
http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/oct/06spec1.htm
Seven miles from Kashi in Uttar Pradesh is Mughalsarai. A hundred years ago, Lal Bahadur, India's second prime minister, was born there on October 2, 1904, the same day as India's greatest statesman Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, born 35 years before Shastriji.
Though his parents Sharada Prasad and Ramdulari Devi were Srivastavas, Shastri dropped his caste identity in his early years. In 1921, inspired by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Gandhi, he cut short his studies to join India's freedom movement.
Later he joined the Kashi Vidyapeeth and earned the epithet 'Shastri' by obtaining a degree on philosophy.
He won the hearts of Indians when he showed exemplary courage in taking quick decisions as prime minister June 1964 to January 1966) during the India-Pakistan war in 1965. His leadership in war was an answer to that most often asked question at that time: 'After Nehru, who?'
But his untimely death on January 10, 1966 in Tashkent, in suspicious circumstances, deprived him the chance for history to sit in judgement.
In a haphazardly taken decision, the central government has formed a committee to celebrate Shastri's life and work in the year of his centenary.
In an ongoing series rediff.com salutes the 'gentle giant' who led India through the critical years after succeeding Nehru.
Has the nation forgotten Shastri? Is Shastri, who epitomised honesty and sincerity in public life, relevant today?
Anil Shastri, one of the late prime minister's six children and member of the Congress party, recounts memories of his father in a conversation with Senior Editor Sheela Bhatt.
On the Congress treatment of Shastri
I don't think India has forgotten Lal Bahadur Shastri. Whatever he did is remembered even today. I must say since Sonia Gandhi has taken charge Shastriji's portraits are displayed in all the annual sessions of the party.
Many people have observed that there was a conspiracy to underplay Shastri's legacy within the Congress. This serious charge is untrue for the simple reason that due to his untimely death his contribution to the nation was confined to those 18 to 19 months when he was PM.
Nehru ruled the country for 17 years, Indira Gandhi for 16 years and Rajiv Gandhi for 5 years. Obviously the Nehru-Gandhi contribution is unparalleled because nobody got this opportunity. And remember Shastriji considered him as a protégé of Pandit Nehru. He was never outside the sphere of the Nehru ideology which is the Congress ideology.
Our nation is going to celebrate his birth centenary throughout the year. The committee is formed under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Even in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, celebrations have been organised on a big scale. E Ahmed, minister of state for external affairs, was in Tashkent to participate in the celebrations.
Shastriji who represented a certain value system is more relevant today than before because a majority of us today have no value systems. I feel difficult to contest elections. I feel a little out of place but for my lineage I have survived in politics.
His father
I still miss him although I was just 16 years old when he died. If he would have lived 10 more years he would have done much more for the country.
He was down to earth. A real son of the soil. His grounding was from the grassroots level. He was a practical man too. He strongly believed the laws of the land should be changed because the British formed them to rule over India.
He did make an attempt by constituting the administrative reforms commission and made Morarji Desai its chairman. But after he died the idea was shelved.
The most cherished memory I have is the verses of Guru Nanak, which were displayed on his table. As Nehru kept Robert Frost's lines -- 'Miles to go before I sleep', on his desk, my father kept Nanak's quotes in Gurmukhi.
When translated into English they mean -- 'O Nanak! Be tiny like the grass, for other plants will whither away, but grass will remain ever green.'
When under the PL 480 programme, America was going to send inferior quality of wheat to India, he opposed it. He asked the nation to go hungry once a day than accept poor quality food from US.
Before making this announcement he asked my mother not to cook evening meals. He himself followed what he recommended.
The 1965 war with Pakistan
He appeared very modest but was a man of steel. He had the ability to take quick decisions. It was demonstrated on August 31, 1965. On that day he came home for an early dinner. One of his secretaries told him that the three chiefs of the defence services had come to see him. He immediately left for his office next door at 10, Janpath.
The three chiefs visited him to inform him that the Pakistan army had crossed the international border with 100 battle tanks in the Chamb sector of Jammu. They told him that in a short span of time the Pakistan army would cut off Kashmir from the rest of India.
Without losing time he asked for the opening of a new front including Lahore. Retaliate with full force, he said. What I remember is that the historic meeting lasted less than five minutes. Arjan Singh, the then chief of the air force was present. He is the only surviving member from that meeting.
He told them, "Be prepared for war." He called Defence Minister Y B Chavan and informed him of the decision. He responded positively and expressed his support. He didn't wait for international reactions. The next day, newspapers reported that the Indian army was marching towards Lahore. It was a big morale booster for the country.
During those tense days, in his address to the nation from Red Fort on Independence day, he said: "Hathiyaron ka jawab hathiyaron se denge. (Force will be met with force.) Hamara desh rahega to hamara tiranga rahega. (Our flag will survive only if our country does)"
On Shastri and the Nehru-Gandhi family
Pandit Nehru was very found of him. Shastriji was around 15 years younger but he trusted him fully. In 1956, when a train accident killed 144 passengers near Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu, Shastriji resigned. Panditji refused to accept the resignation but he prevailed upon Panditji to accept it.
On the following day in Parliament, Nehru said no one could wish for a better comrade than Lal Bahadur. A man of the highest integrity and devoted to ideas is called Lal Bahadur, said Nehru.
Once he was sent to Kashmir by Nehru to help resolve the theft in the Hazaratbal shrine. Nehru asked him whether he had enough woollens for the trip.
"Are you aware Kashmir must be having snowfall at this time?" asked Nehru.
Shastri showed him the jacket he was wearing and Nehru immediately gave his own mink overcoat. My father was short in stature so he told Nehru the coat was quite long. But Nehru said woollen overcoats were always longer. That no one would know it was a borrowed one.
On his return from Kashmir when father went to him to return the overcoat, Nehru asked him to keep it. The next day newspapers reported: Nehru's Mantle Falls on Shastri.
Shastriji and Indiraji also enjoyed a close relationship. She had the highest personal regard for him. After Nehru's death in 1964, the Congress chose him as a consensus candidate. He did make an attempt to persuade Indira Gandhi to take over as prime minister. He went to see her and asked her to become prime minister.
She put her foot down and said no. "You become PM and I'll totally support you," she said. When he was PM he would drop by at 1, Safdarjung Road (Indira Gandhi's home) without intimation just to chat with her
No comments:
Post a Comment