Shastri rose to the occasion

Sandeep  Sinha

The elevation of Lal Bahadur Shastri as the country’s Prime Minister was a tribute to the Indian democracy and the ideals it sought to enshrine. Coming from a humble background and influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, he was a study in contrast to his predecessor, the charismatic and flamboyant Jawaharlal Nehru. Consistent but low-key, consensus and not confrontation were his hallmarks. Shastri’s soft exterior camouflaged a steely resolve and sharp political mind. Pakistan’s Field Marshal Ayub Khan was made to understand this when he first dismissed Shastri as “that short man”, and then was made to eat a humble pie in the 1965 War. The decision to march into Pakistan was Shastri’s and as Lt-Gen Harbaksh Singh, then commanding the Western Command, said, “It was the tallest decision by the shortest of man.”

An inkling of his astute political sense could be had from what he told Kuldip Nayar about Cabinet formation after becoming the PM. It was about allocating a portfolio to Indira Gandhi and Shastri had left it for her to choose. When asked why he had not offered her the External Affairs portfolio, Shastri remarked, “You do not understand Nayar sahib. She wants to become the PM, and it will only increase her importance.” Swaran Singh was ultimately made the Foreign Minister.

Shastri was Nehru’s blue-eyed boy and as Minister without Portfolio, Nehru’s brief to him was “you will do my work”. Understanding that he could never match the Nehru family in stature, he made it up with his hard work. He knew he did not get to see the files always, with bureaucrats and Indira vetting them most of the time. Neither did Nehru mind it, nor Shastri — as was his wont, he preferred to bide his time. The Times summed it up: “His meekness is protective colouring for a calm, unhurried, self-confidence combined with good judgment and a shrewd political sense…” But when it came to the crunch, he clarified his stance to Nehru on issues like the continuation of VK Krishna Menon in the Cabinet, removal of KD Malviya as a minister on corruption charges, recommending action against Punjab CM Partap Singh Kairon and resolving the anti-Hindi agitation.

He upheld personal integrity. When his son used his (Shastri’s) official position to get a driving licence, he asked the officials to revoke it. In another instance, when an air-conditioner was installed at his official residence, he got it removed telling his family members it won’t be there when he ceased to be a minister. He even resigned after a railway accident in 1956. 

Nehru had immense trust in him, asking him to look after GB Pant’s Home Ministry in his absence, basically grooming him to succeed him. Shastri advised Nehru to move Krishna Menon from Defence to Defence Production, and then ease him out of the Cabinet, because he found out that reports on the India-China War preparedness had been handled ineptly. He formed the Santhanam Committee to look into corruption at political and administrative levels. When ministers resigned as part of the Kamraj plan, Shastri was the only one who was given organisational work and, as observers noted, the aim was to keep Morarji Desai out of the Cabinet. When Shastri became the PM, he made it clear to Morarji that he would be number three in the Cabinet, with Gulzarilal Nanda preceding him. The grudge that a rigid Morarji bore was overcome only after he became the PM in 1977.

There are interesting asides like when Shastri was asked who would succeed him, he said if he died within a year or two, it would be Indira Gandhi, or if it happened later, it would be YB Chavan. During the anti-Hindi agitation, he made it clear that states will have the freedom to conduct official work in a language of their choice, and permitted communication with the Centre in English, something that has a bearing on the current row over Hindi. The book describes the circumstances surrounding his death. Conspiracy theories have been ruled out for he had suffered two heart attacks earlier. That night he was worried about the reactions back home over the Tashkent Agreement with Pakistan.  

The qualities Shastri embodied have contemporary relevance. He took everyone along, stood for personal integrity, recognised merit and overcame odds with determination and foresight. He had a short stint but left a lasting effect on India’s national life, giving it back the pride that was lost in the 1962 War against China.