Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti: 5 Lesser Known Facts About India's Second Prime Minister

New Delhi:

Lal Bahadur Shastri was one of the most popular prime ministers of India who played a crucial role in shaping up the country's future. His famous 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisaan' (Hail the soldier, hail the farmer) slogan injected energy during the freedom movement. Born on October 2, 1904 in Mughalsarai, Shastri emphasised the idea of unity in the country. He was the second prime minister of India from 1964 to 1966. He took over the rein of our country after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru. His untimely death in Uzbekistan's Tashkent on January 11, 1966 after a massive heart attack left a void.

He signed a peace agreement between India and Pakistan post-1965 War before his death in Tashkent. Indira Gandhi became the prime minister after Shastri's death. Shastri once said, "As a nation, we must fight for peace as we fought in a war."  

On his birth anniversary, we bring to you some interesting facts about Lal Bahadur Shastri:

• Lal Bahadur Shastri went to jail for taking part in Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation movement. Later, he was let off as he was still a minor of 17 years.
• Shastri introduced the provision of female drivers and conductors in public transportation when he was the Transport Minister.
• He accepted a Khadi cloth and spinning wheel as dowry at his wedding.
• Shastri introduced the rule of spraying jet water to disperse crowd instead of lathi charge, during his tenure as the Minister of Police.
• Shastri took part in the Salt March, for which he was jailed for a period of two years.

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