Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti: Shastri Was Not Originally A Part Of Ex PM's Name. Know 10 Facts About Him

Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti 2022: On his 118th birth anniversary, read these 10 interesting facts about the second Prime Minister of India.

Second Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri

Source : Getty

New Delhi: Lal Bahadur Shastri is the second prime minister of India. He shares his birthday with Mahatma Gandhi who was also his influence in serving the nation. Shastri played a prominent role during the 22-day Indo-Pak war, which led to the country's eventual victory. His slogan "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" is to date among the most popular slogans used for issues pertaining to farmers and youth.

On Lal Bahadur Shastri's 118th birth anniversary, here is a look at some facts about the former prime minister:

• He was born in the year 1904, in Mughalsarai, a small railway town seven miles from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
• He lived with his uncle in Varanasi so that he could go to high school. He was called 'Nanhe', or (little one) at home. He used to walk miles to reach school without shoes.
• Taking inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, he withdrew from government school when he was in class 10, to join the non-cooperation movement. He actively participated in anti-British establishment demonstrations.
• He studied in the Kashi Vidya Peeth, a nationalist university, where he was given the title 'Shastri', but over time, the title became a part of his name. At the university, he was influenced by the greatest intellectuals and nationalists of the country.
• He was arrested (one of many) briefly before he studied at the university because he joined a banned procession, he was released since it was his first offence.
• He joined the Congress party of the state of the United Provinces, now Uttar Pradesh state. The party appointed him Parliamentary Secretary in the state and he soon rose to the position of Home Minister.
• He became the second Prime Minister of India after the sudden demise of Jawaharlal Nehru on May 27, 1964. On June 9, he took over the position of prime minister. 
• He promoted the White Revolution – a national campaign to increase the production and supply of milk – by supporting the Amul milk co-operative of Anand, Gujarat, and creating the National Dairy Development Board.
• During the Indo-Pakistan war in 1965, the country faced a shortage of food at the time he stop drawing his salary. 
• Lal Bahadur Shastri was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1966 and a memorial Vijay Ghat was built for him in Delhi.