Lal Bahadur Shastri Death Anniversary: Interesting Facts, Slogan and Quotes by India's Second Prime Minister

Lal Bahadur Shastri served as the second Prime Minister of India from 1964 to 1966. Shastri lost his father, a school teacher and a clerk, to bubonic plague when he was barely 2 years old. He grew up in his maternal grandparent’s house. He got married at the age of 24 in 1928 to Lalita Shastri. The same year he joined the Indian National Congress.

Shastri not only participated in the freedom struggle but also advocated against caste discrimination. Post-independence, he held various significant positions, including Minister for Railways, Minister for Transport and Communications, Minister for Commerce and Industry, and Home Minister.

After Nehru’s death, he served as the Prime Minister from 1964 to 1966, till he unexpectedly passed away in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on January 11, 1966. Lal Bahadur Shastri is revered for his honesty, clean image, and dedication to the country. On his death anniversary, let’s take a look at some interesting facts, quotes and slogans.

Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan

Shastri gave the slogan ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ in 1965 at a public gathering in Prayagraj. He gave this slogan against the backdrop of the Indo-Pak War of 1965 and the ongoing famine in many parts of the country. With this slogan, he urged people to hail soldiers who defend the country and respect farmers who toil to feed it.

10 Interesting Facts

1. Lal Bahadur Shastri was born Lal Bahadur Shrivastava, but he decided to drop his surname in opposition to the caste system.
2. He was majorly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s thoughts.
3. Lal Bahadur Shastri’s birth date coincides with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
4. He acquired the title ‘Shastri’ after completing his studies and receiving a degree from Kashi Vidyapeeth.
5. As the Minister of Police and Transport in 1947, he took the initiative of appointing women as conductors.
6. Lal Bahadur Shastri was the first person to order the use of water jets to disperse
7. The Indo-Pak war of 1965 started during his prime ministership.
8. Shastri was awarded Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 1966. He was the first person to be honoured posthumously.
9. Shastri took a car loan of Rs 5,000 to buy a Fiat car. The loan was repaid by his wife from the family pension after his death.
10. In 1928, he joined the Indian National Congress after being deeply moved by Gandhi.

Inspiring Quotes

1. “We would consider it our moral duty to lend all support to the ending of colonialism and imperialism so that people everywhere are free to mold their own destiny.”
2. “The unique thing about our country is that we have Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, and people of all other religions. We have temples and mosques, gurdwaras and churches. But we do not bring all this into politics. This is the difference between India and Pakistan.”
3. “Our way is straight and clear – the building up of a socialist democracy at home, with freedom and prosperity for all, and the maintenance of world peace and friendship with all nations abroad.”
4. “We believe in peace and peaceful development, not only for ourselves but for people all over the world.”
5. “We can win respect in the world only if we are strong internally and can banish poverty and unemployment from our country.”