Lal Bahadur Shastri 118th birth anniversary: All you need to know about India's second PM

Today, India celebrates the 118th birth anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri, the nation’s second Prime Minister. Shastri, who succeeded Jawaharlal Nehru, was respected for his forthrightness and honesty, and after his passing, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna, making him the first posthumous laureate of this prestigious award. Shastri has the same birthday (2 October) as Mahatma Gandhi even though he was born in 1904, 35 years later. Coming from a modest background, he had a strong admiration for Gandhi and went on to take significant positions during his political career. Shastri was born in Mughalsarai, a small railway town in Uttar Pradesh that is seven miles from Varanasi. Lal Bahadur Shastri’s father was a teacher who passed away when the boy was just one and a half years old. His mother, who was still in her twenties, moved to her father’s house with her three kids. Early childhood: Shastri had a rather happy upbringing yet despite the poverty that followed him. For the purpose of completing his higher education, he moved to Varanasi to live with an uncle. Even when the summer heat scorched the streets, Nanhe, or “little one” as he was known at home, walked many kilometres without shoes to get to school. As he grew older, Shastri developed an interest in the nation’s fight for independence from British oppression. Mahatma Gandhi’s criticism of Indian royalty for supporting the British government in India left a lasting impression on him. He was only 11 years old at the time, but in his mind, the process that would eventually propel him to the national stage had already started. When Gandhiji urged his fellow countrymen to join the Non-Cooperation Movement, Shastri was 16 years old. In response to the Mahatma’s appeal, he made the decision right away to stop studying and join Bapu. Political career: Lal Bahadur Shastri’s exceptional worth had already been acknowledged by the leader of the national movement by the time the Congress took office. This “little dynamo of a man” was asked to contribute to the national government when the Congress government was established. In his native state of Uttar Pradesh, he was named Parliamentary Secretary and quickly advanced to the position of Home Minister. In Uttar Pradesh, he became renowned for his efficiency and ability to work hard. In 1951, he relocated to New Delhi and served in the Union Cabinet in various roles- the Minister for Railways, Minister for Transport and Communications, Minister for Commerce and Industry, and Home Minister. Shastri left his position as Minister for Railways because he took responsibility for a fatal train accident. The nation and parliament both praised the extraordinary act. Speaking before Parliament about the incident, then-prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru praised Lal Bahadur Shastri’s moral character and lofty principles. He claimed that he was not accepting the resignation because Lal Bahadur Shastri was in any way to blame for what had occurred, but rather so that it would serve as a model of constitutional propriety. Shastri continued to devote his organising skills to the affairs of the Congress Party in between his cabinet portfolios. He fully identified with the cause, and his organisational prowess was a major factor in the party’s landslide victories in the general elections of 1952, 1957, and 1962. Shastri was appointed minister without portfolio during Nehru’s sickness, and in June 1964, he took over as prime minister upon Nehru’s death. After concluding a “no-war” pact with Pakistan’s President Ayub Khan in 1966, he passed away from a heart attack, and Indira Gandhi went on to assume the top post. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.