Lal Bahadur Shastri was the second Prime Minister of India. (Image: Shutterstock)
Lal Bahadur Shastri’s iconic slogan, Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, became a rallying cry during the 1965 war with Pakistan, symbolising support for both soldiers and farmers.
Lal Bahadur Shastri, India’s second Prime Minister, was a leader who embodied integrity, honesty, and humility. He left behind a legacy that continues to inspire. Born in Uttar Pradesh’s Mughalsarai, he shared his birthday with Mahatma Gandhi and was deeply influenced by his ideals.
Shastri’s iconic slogan, Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, became a rallying cry during the 1965 war with Pakistan, symbolising support for both soldiers and farmers. He served as India’s Prime Minister from 1964 to 1966.
Living a life of simplicity, Lal Bahadur Shastri once encouraged citizens to skip a meal daily during a national food crisis to show solidarity after the US reportedly threatened to cut wheat supplies during the India-Pakistan war.
His selflessness was a testament to his minimalistic lifestyle. Shastri died in Tashkent on January 11, 1966, but his impact remains significant. To remember Lal Bahadur Shastri on his birth anniversary today, here are some of his most motivational quotes and interesting facts about the great leader.
Interesting Facts about Lal Bahadur Shastri
- Lal Bahadur Shastri was born as Lal Bahadur Shrivastava but he chose to drop his surname to reject the caste system.
- During childhood, he was affectionately called Nanhe or the little one at home.
- Shastri couldn’t afford a pair of slippers and had to walk barefoot to school, even in the scorching summer heat.
- At 16 years of age, Lal Bahadur Shastri joined the freedom struggle on Mahatma Gandhi’s call for the Non-Cooperation Movement
- In 1927, he married Lalita Devi from Mirzapur. Their wedding was traditional, except for one notable detail: the dowry consisted only of a spinning wheel and a few yards of handspun cloth.
- The title Shastri was conferred upon him after he earned his degree from Kashi Vidyapeeth.
- He once took a loan of Rs 5,000 to buy a Fiat car, and after his death, his wife repaid the loan using the family’s pension.
- In 1947, as the Minister of Police and Transport, he broke new ground by appointing women as bus conductors.
- Throughout his life, Shastri led many bold campaigns against British rule, spending about a total of seven years in jail.
- In 1966, Shastri was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, making him the first person to receive it posthumously.
10 Inspiring Quotes by Lal Bahadur Shastri
- “We would consider it our moral duty to lend all support to ending colonialism and imperialism so that people everywhere are free to mould their own destiny.”
- “The unique thing about our country is that we have Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, and people of all other religions. We have temples, mosques, gurdwaras, and churches. But we do not bring all this into politics. This is the difference between India and Pakistan.”
- “Our way is straight and clear – building a socialist democracy at home, with freedom and prosperity for all, and maintaining world peace and friendship with all nations.”
- “We believe in peace and peaceful development, not only for ourselves but for people all over the world.”
- “We can win respect in the world only if we are strong internally and can eliminate poverty and unemployment from our country.”
- “True democracy, or the swaraj of the masses, can never come through untruthful or violent means.”
- “The preservation of freedom is not the task of soldiers alone. The whole nation must be strong.”
- “Discipline and united action are the real sources of strength for the nation.”
- “In our national life, agriculture holds a very important place. It is the backbone of our economy.”
- “Loyalty to the country comes ahead of all other loyalties. And this is an absolute loyalty since it cannot be measured by what one receives.”
