Lal Bahadur Shastri Birth Anniversary ! Read ‘here’ scoops of Shastri’s life

The incident dates back to 26 September 1965. Only four days were passed when the India-Pakistan war on border was ended. Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri spoke to thousands of people at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan.

Shastri said, “Sadar Ayub should not bother to walk down to Delhi as he is a big man. We will move towards Lahore and join them”.

Earlier Ayub ridiculed Shastri by calling him a man whose stature and voice is five feet two inches. Ayub often assessed people from their outward appearance rather than their conduct. Ayub cancelled his trip to Delhi citing now who’s there to talk with. Shastri  said, “Don’t you come, we will come.”

Shastri was on a trip to Cairo to attend the Non-Aligned Conference. While returning, he stayed in Karachi for a few hours. Ayub, who came to leave Shastri  at the airport, pointed out to his colleagues that there was no point in talking with him

When US President’s invitation was rejected by Shastri  

US Ambassador Chester Bowles invited Shastri to visit US President Lyndon Johnson in the United States before the Cairo conference but Johnson withdrew his invitation before Shastri could make a decision about it. The reason for this was the pressure from Field Marshal Ayub. According to Ayub, that this time when he is trying to make new equations with India, America should not come into the picture.

A few months later, while he was on his way to Canada, Johnson invited him to stay in Washington midway, but Shastri rejected him. He believed in making people taste their own medicines.

Lakhs of Indians left a meal at one call

Anil Shastri, son of Lal Bahadur Shastri, recalls, “During the 1965 war, US President Lyndon Johnson threatened Shastri  if you do not take a back step against Pakistan, we will put a ban on exporting wheat under PL 480.”

India was not self-sufficient in wheat production. Shastri was a dignified man and the US stand has created a void in his pride. He asked people of the country to give up one meal of the day so that it can fill in the ban from America on wheat. Before doing that Shastri asked his wife can you not cook today’s meal as I want to see if my children stay hungry for a day as tomorrow I am going to ask my countrymen to give me a one time meal of the day.

When they saw that we can live without eating for a time, they asked the countrymen to do the same.”

When spent spending by writing in newspapers

Shastri had to resign from the Nehru cabinet in 1963 under the Kamaraj scheme. He was the Home Minister of India at that time.

Senior Journalist Kuldeep Nayar recalls, “That evening I went to Shastri ‘s house. There was darkness all over the house except for the drawing room. Shastri was sitting alone reading the newspaper. I asked him why the lights were not on outside?”

Shashtri said, “From now on I will have to pay the electricity bill for this house from my pocket. Therefore I cannot afford to burn the light everywhere.” Shastri  was finding it difficult to run the expenses of his family in a monthly salary of Rs 500 as a MP’s.

Nayyar writes in his autobiography, “I persuaded him to write in newspapers. I started a syndicate service for him which led to his articles appearing in The Hindu, Amrit bazar Patrika, Hindustan Times and Times of India. Every newspaper used to give him 500 rupees for an article. ”

“In this way he started earning an extra Rs. 2000. I remember that he wrote the first article on Jawaharlal Nehru and the second article on Lala Lajpat Rai.”

Shastri  who served tea to junior officers

All the officers who worked with Shastri  say he was very polite. CP Srivastava, his personal secretary, writes in his biography ‘Lal Bahadur Shastri  – a Life of Truth in Politics’, “Shastri  had a habit of serving tea for us from his pot in a bowl. He said that because it was his room, so he has the right to pour tea in the cup. ”

“Sometimes he would get up from his chair while talking and walk around the room. Sometimes there was no need for more light in the room. Shastri often used to switch off the lights himself. They did not approve of any waste of public money. ”

Russian Prime Minister tells Shastri  ‘Super Communist’

When Lal Bahadur Shastri  went to Russia to attend the Tashkent Conference, he started his Khadi festival. When Lal Bahadur Shastri  went to Russia to attend the Tashkent conference, he wore his Khadi wool coat.

Russian Prime Minister Alexey Kosigin immediately went saying that this coat would not be able to combat the winter of Tashkent. The next day he presented an overcoat to Shastri  thinking that he would wear it in the winter of Tashkent.

Anil Shastri  says that the next day Kosigin saw that Shastri  is again wearing the same old Khadi coat. He hesitantly asked Shastri  did you not like that coat?

Shastri  replied that the coat is really hot but I have given it to a member of my team to wear for a few days because he has not been able to bring a coat to wear with him this season.

Referring to the incident at a cultural ceremony organized in honor of the Indian Prime Minister and the Pakistani President, Kosigin said that we are communists but Prime Minister Shastri  is a ‘super communist’.