Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti Image: He gave India the slogan 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan'
Lal Bahadur Shastri Birth Anniversary: As we celebrate the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the country pays respect to another great freedom fighter, statesman and India's second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan', the slogan of Lal Bahadur Shastri, is etched in our minds as it captures the true spirit of India. Lal Bahadur Shastri's public life has left an indelible mark on the country. He was unique in the way he connected with the common man. Humble, soft-spoken but a strong leader, Lal Bahadur Shastri took over as the Prime Minister in May 1964, after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru. In Independent India's first cabinet, Lal Bahadur Shastri held key portfolios like the Home Affairs and the Railways.
Lal Bahadur Shastri Birth Anniversary: President Kovind, PM Modi pay homage
President Ram Nath Kovind took to Twitter and paid homage to Lal Bahadur Shastri. "A great son of India, he served our nation with exceptional dedication. His fundamental role in the Green Revolution, the White Revolution and wartime leadership continue to inspire the nation," the President tweeted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tribute to Lal Bahadur Shastri. "We remember him on his Jayanti with a deep sense of gratitude for everything he has done for India," PM Modi wrote on Twitter along with a video.
Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti: Know things about him that inspire us
- During the 1965 India-Pak war, when the country faced food scarcity Lal Bahadur Shastri, who was the Prime Minister then, stopped drawing his salary
- Lal Bahadur Shastri was a man of tremendous integrity; he resigned from his post of Railways Minister because he felt responsible for a railway accident which had killed many people
- Lal Bahadur Shastri's slogan 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' during the 1965 war boosted the morale of the soldiers as well as farmers amid food scarcity
- Lal Bahadur Shastri promoted the White Revolution, a countrywide campaign to increase milk production. He supported the Amul milk co-operative at Anand in Gujarat and created the National Dairy Development Board
- To boost India's food production, Lal Bahadur Shastri promoted the Green Revolution in India in 1965, which led to an increase in food grain production, especially in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
- His tenure as the Prime Minister was only for 19 months. He died in Tashkent on January 11, 1966.
Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti: Quotes to remember
- "Discipline and united action are the real source of strength for the nation."
- "India will have to hang down her head in shame if even one person is left who is said in any way to be untouchable."
- "True democracy or the swaraj of the masses can never come through untruthful and violent means, for the simple reason that the natural corollary to their use would be to remove all opposition through the suppression or extermination of the antagonist."
- "There comes a time in the life of every nation when it stands at the crossroads of history and must choose which way to go."