लाल बहादुर शास्त्री की जीवनी हिन्दी मे पढ़ने के लिए यहाँ क्लिक करें ।
Lal Bahadur Shastri Birth, Education, and Early Life:
Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on 2nd October 1904 AD in the small railway town of Mughalsarai, seven miles from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. His father was a school teacher. Lal Bahadur Shastri was only one and a half years old when his father passed away. His mother moved to her parental home with her three children. Lal Bahadur’s educational journey in that small town was very ordinary, but despite poverty, his childhood was filled with happiness. He was sent to live with his uncle in Varanasi to pursue higher education. Everyone at home called him “Nanhe”. He used to walk several miles to school, even in extreme heat when the roads became scorching hot. There were times when he had to cross the river by boat without even having enough money. In such circumstances, anyone else would have surely given up their education, but Shastri ji did not give in. He used to swim across the Ganges to go to school. After completing the sixth grade while facing difficulties, he went to live with his maternal uncle to continue his studies. There, he studied at Harishchandra High School and later at Kashi Vidyapeeth.
In 1927, he got married. His wife, Lalita Devi, was from Mirzapur, which was near his own city. Their marriage was entirely traditional. As dowry, they received a spinning wheel and some handwoven meters of cloth. They did not want anything more than this as dowry.
Influence of Mahatma Gandhi and Contribution to the Freedom Struggle:
As Lal Bahadur Shastri grew older, he became more interested in the fight against foreign rule for the country’s independence. He was deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s condemnation of those Indian princes who supported the British rule. Lal Bahadur Shastri had aspired to do something at the national level since he was only eleven years old. When Mahatma Gandhi called for participation in the Non-Cooperation Movement, he decided to quit his studies. This decision shocked his family. Despite their numerous attempts to stop him, they couldn’t change his mind. Everyone close to him knew that once he made up his mind, he would never change his decision because Lal Bahadur Shastri, who appeared humble from the outside, was as firm as a rock from within.
Seeing Mahatma Gandhi’s inspiration, he left his studies to participate in the freedom struggle and later received the title of ‘Shastri’ from Kashi Vidyapeeth, inspired by Gandhi’s exemplary example. It is evident that Gandhi’s influence on his life was profound, and he considered Bapu his ideal. In 1920, he was sent to jail for two and a half years for participating in the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Lal Bahadur Shastri actively contributed to various national institutions against British rule, one of which was Kashi Vidyapeeth in Varanasi. Here, he had the opportunity to be influenced by great scholars and nationalists of the country. Although the degree conferred upon him by the university was ‘Shastri’, in people’s minds, it became a part of his name.
Lal Bahadur Shastri was deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s political teachings. Once, in the style of his mentor Mahatma Gandhi, he said, “Hard work and prayer are equal,” which was the same idea as Mahatma Gandhi’s, and Lal Bahadur Shastri also understood it. He is a great symbol of Indian culture. The slogan “Don’t kill, don’t die” was just another form of “Do or Die.” Due to Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas, the slogan “Do or Die” was given on the same night when the Quit India Movement began. The impact of this slogan spread like wildfire throughout the country. If it is said that this slogan was a violent slogan against British rule, it would not be wrong. This slogan was given by Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1942, which was a very cleverly crafted form of ‘Do or Die’ and was very easy to understand. The impact of this slogan was such that it spread like wildfire in the hearts of the suppressed people who had been harboring resentment for centuries. On one hand, the Gandhian ideology was to achieve freedom through peaceful demonstrations, but the British probably interpreted it as the fear of the people. That’s why, understanding the situation, Lal Bahadur Shastri cleverly raised the slogan “Don’t kill, don’t die,” which proved to be a revolutionary slogan.
As a dedicated member of the Congress, he began fulfilling his responsibilities. Due to his participation in the Salt Satyagraha in 1930, he was sent to jail again. Seeing Lal Bahadur Shastri’s dedication, the party made him the General Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Congress. During the British rule, any position in a political party was no less than thorns, but Lal Bahadur Shastri remained in this position from 1935 to 1938 and continued to fulfill his responsibilities.
In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi broke the Salt Law by undertaking the Dandi March. This symbolic message brought about a revolution in the entire country. Lal Bahadur Shastri, with his restless energy, joined this struggle for freedom. He led many rebellious campaigns and remained in British jails for a total of seven years. The freedom struggle made him completely mature.
After independence, when Congress came to power, the leaders of the National Struggle had already understood the importance of humble and humble Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Political Life and Admirable Achievements:
In the midst of this, in the year 1937, he was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. At the same time, he was also elected as the General Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Committee and held this position until 1941. In 1946, when the Congress government was formed, this ‘small dynamo’ was asked to play a constructive role in the governance of the country.
In the struggle for independence, this son of the country had to endure the hardships of jail many times in his lifetime for his role. In 1946, the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Pt. Govind Vallabh Pant appointed Shastri Ji as his Assembly Secretary and in 1947, included him in his cabinet. During his tenure as Transport Minister, he appointed female conductors for the first time. As the Minister of Police, he initiated the use of water cannons instead of lathis to control crowds. Seeing his dedication and competence, he was appointed as the National General Secretary of the Congress in 1951.
After coming to New Delhi in 1951, he took charge of several departments of the Central Cabinet, such as Railways, Transport and Communications, Commerce and Industry, Home Affairs, and even acted as a Minister without Portfolio during Nehru’s illness. His prestige continued to grow. In 1952, Nehru appointed him as Railway Minister. While serving as Railway Minister, following a railway accident in which many people died, he resigned from the position of Railway Minister, taking personal responsibility. The nation and the parliament praised this unique step. The then Prime Minister, Pandit Nehru, speaking in Parliament, praised Lal Bahadur Shastri’s honesty and high ideals. He explained that he resigned because he always supports truth and justice.
He accepted this responsibility not only because he is responsible for it, but also because it will set an example in constitutional boundaries. When he was asked about the railway accident during a long debate, Lal Bahadur Shastri said, “Perhaps people think I am not very strong because of my short stature and humility. I may not be physically strong, but I don’t think I am so weak internally.”
In 1957, when he was elected to Parliament from Allahabad, Nehru appointed him as the Minister of Transport and Communications in his cabinet. After that, in 1958, he took charge of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. During his tenure as Minister, he continued to be acquainted with matters related to the Congress Party and made his significant contribution in them. His organizational skills and leadership played a crucial role in the party’s decisive and grand success in the 1952, 1957, and 1962 Lok Sabha elections.
For more than thirty years of dedicated service, Lal Bahadur Shastri became famous among people for his lofty dedication and capabilities. Humble, firm, tolerant, and internally powerful, Shastri Ji became a person among the people who understood their emotions. He was visionary and tried to bring the country on the path of progress.
When Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru passed away on May 27, 1964, there was a need for a courageous and fearless leader who could guide the country. When leaders like Morarji Desai and Jagjivan Ram came forward as candidates for the Prime Minister’s post, Shastri Ji clearly refused to participate in the elections, seeing the glory of the post and the democratic values. Eventually, the then President of the Congress, K. Kamaraj, called a Congress meeting, in which it was proposed to support Shastri Ji, and on June 2, 1964, the Congress Parliamentary Party unanimously accepted him as their leader. In this way, on June 9, 1964, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the second Prime Minister of the country.
In 1961, after the death of Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant, he was entrusted with the responsibility of the Home Minister. His duty-bound nature and competence, along with successfully fulfilling his responsibilities on several constitutional positions, resulted in him being unanimously appointed as the second Prime Minister of the country on June 9, 1964. Shastri Ji had the unique ability to face difficult situations with ease, courage, fearlessness, and patience. The country witnessed this during his tenure as Prime Minister.
Death:
Criticism was made regarding the lack of positive steps in dealing with Shastri’s economic problems, but his firmness and leadership earned popularity in facing challenges, such as the situation of war with Pakistan in disputed Kashmir in 1965. He signed the “No War” agreement with the President, and shortly after, news of his death came due to a heart attack. After his death, Ayub Khan was the President of Pakistan, and after him, Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister.
महात्मा गाँधी की जीवनी पढ़ने के लिए यहाँ क्लिक करें ।
डॉ भीमराव अंबेडकर की जीवनी पढ़ने के लिए यहाँ क्लिक करें ।
पद्म श्री सम्मानित सीता देवी की जीवनी पढ़ने के लिए यहाँ क्लिक करें
सुभाष चंद्र बोस की जीवनी पढ़ने के लिए यहाँ क्लिक करें
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