Influence of Mahatma Gandhi on Lal Bahadur Shastri

Context

October 2 marks the birth anniversary of two great personalities of India’s freedom movement and public life, Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri. Their lives were intertwined for 35 years, as Shastri became so closely aligned with Gandhian principles that he espoused truth, non-violence, sacrifice, and public service.

Gandhi’s Early Influence on Shastri

• In 1916, Lal Bahadur Shastri was only 11 years old when he heard Mahatma Gandhi speak at the Banaras Hindu University, an event which had a profound impact on him.
• In his speech, Gandhi condemned British rule and the government of Indian princes who still served the British, and it showed that his moral courage could go hand in hand with political action.
• Gandhi’s ability to mobilise people in spite of his modest look and using non-violent methods was a particular inspiration for the young Shastri.
• The experience turned Shastri’s mind to the fact that truth and justice may be a potent tool of political change.

Non-Cooperation Movement and a Turning Point

• Shastri’s association with Gandhi grew stronger during the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22).
• Gandhi, in 1921, spoke to the youth of Benaras and appealed to those older than 16 to leave government-operated or government-assisted schools.
• At the time, Shastri was 16 years old and had just a few months to go before finishing school. He had made a pretty big personal sacrifice when he was leaving a government-supported institution.
• Shastri was encouraged by his mother to think about his decision carefully and then stick to it, and he finally dropped out of school and joined the nationalist movement.
• The episode illustrated a key aspect of his future political career, that is, his personal discipline and dedication to public service were put ahead of his own success.

Gandhian Ethics in Public Life

• The principles of Gandhi were taken beyond the fight for freedom to the political arena of independent India by Shastri.
• His political technique was simplicity, personal integrity, restraint, and a stress on public responsibility.
• Shastri tried to give a practical application of the ethical aspect of the Gandhian philosophy in governance and leadership of the nation, as opposed to a mere theoretical approach.
• His slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” was a testament to his focus on national security and the role of farmers in the development of India.

The Tashkent Declaration and Gandhian Values

• Shastri’s biggest challenge was during the Indo-Pak War of 1965, when he had to assume the role of Prime Minister.
• The war erupted for 22 days until a ceasefire was called by the United Nations. The Soviet Union then helped broker peace between India and Pakistan at Tashkent, which was then part of the Soviet Union.
• The talks ended on January 10, 1966, with the Tashkent Declaration aimed at fostering peace between the two nations and establishing a postwar peace regime.
• Shastri said that a pursuit of peace was not necessarily a violation of national security. His way of thinking was in line with the Gandhian principle that long-term enmity and violence have a tendency to weaken the more enduring ethos of society.
• Records of his last moments show that Shastri considered the Tashkent agreement to be a great tribute to Gandhi, as it was an attempt to establish conditions of peace, harmony, and non-violence.

Why the Gandhi–Shastri Connection Matters

• Gandhi and Shastri’s association provides an example of how political thoughts can shape the life of a person at various ages.
• The first impression that Gandhi made on Shastri’s mind was at a young age, and his involvement in the freedom movement had an impact on his leadership experience.
• Shastri’s life also shows that Gandhian thinking was not confined to the struggle for independence. Everything that it advocated – truth, moral conduct, sacrifice, social responsibility, peaceful settlement of disputes – remained the themes of political discussion following 1947.
• The last time he went to Tashkent was a useful demonstration of the path of peace and the safeguarding of national interests.

Way Ahead

• The success of democratic governance demands institutional authority and ethical responsibility, and the Gandhi–Shastri legacy still applies to the present day in public life.
• Their lives exemplify the value of honesty in government, responsible political behavior, and peaceful means of settling disagreements.
• Gandhian thoughts can also be studied against the background of the present conflict, communal tension, polarization in politics, and international disputes.

Conclusion

• The impact of Gandhi is felt in Lal Bahadur Shastri, starting from the young boy who heard Gandhi in Varanasi and ending as a Prime Minister who was involved in the Tashkent negotiations decades later. In the political career of Shastri, the Gandhian ideals of truth, non-violence, sacrifice, and public service had become a way of life and were translated into principles of governance and diplomacy.
• His life, therefore, is not just one that is linked with Gandhi’s, but an effort to import and bring into political life in independent India some of the ethos of Gandhi.

Source: The Indian Express

Prelims PYQ

Q. Who among the following is associated with ‘Songs from Prison’, a translation of ancient India religious lyrics in English? (2021)

1. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
2. Jawaharlal Nehru
3. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
4. Sarojini Naidu

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