The Indomitable Lal Bahadur Shastri

 

(Kashmir Rechords Exclusive)
While the Indian Nation and international peace loving organisations will be celebrating Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday on October 2 to once again rekindle hope of peace and semblance of human values in an utterly chaotic world beset with conventional and nuclear wars, terrorism, climate change challenges and general sense of despondency for the human race, the day will also be celebrated for another of India’s great son, Lal Bahadur Shastri’s birthday.
Even though the latter’s birthday gets always overshadowed by  that of the Father of the Nation, his role  as a freedom fighter and a Prime Minister  with the cleanest image  and the one who rose to the challenges of the times in an era when India’s position in terms of security related environment was precarious,  cannot be undermined.

Diminutive size, Tallest Deeds

This diminutive looking leader of the Nation may have been underestimated by the powers that be, but his focus and practical wisdom defied the perceived deficiencies by the   enemies of the Nation and won the day for him. Not only did he teach a lesson to a very well equipped enemy that launched aggression on the Nation of India but also those supporting the aggressor.
Thoroughly bred in Gandhian values, Shastri Ji carried himself with the dignity of a man filled with the need for peace and was a living example of Gandhi Ji’s teaching. His strong will was beyond the comprehension of the contemporary world leaders. He was strict as far as honesty and probity in public life was concerned. Neither did he amass wealth, nor did he extend favours to members of his immediate family or relatives. His sense of meeting the formidable challenges head on was legendary.

Rare Photographs

Kashmir Rechords through some of its rare collection of photographs of Lal Bahadur Shastri, the times and the situations he found himself in, pays tributes to this legendary leader.
Through these rare photographs, Kashmir Rechords presents a unique side of personality of the  former Prime Minister of India, affectionately called as “ Bharat Ke Lal’’, These photos reveal him as a family man,  at times  addressing troops, holding meetings and his last journey.
Kashmir Rechords

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  • He was small in height but the tallest in the leadership. I saw him in Allahabad now Prayagraj and heard his speech before the jam-packed ground of a College. He visited the city after the 1965 battle. A few months later, I was one of the crowd who followed his ashes to be immersed in Sangam. His words still rebound in my mind when he said, "I am a small man, and Ayub Khan is a tall person. He must have thought about what this small person could do but when I visited the battleground in Punjab, the distance was unending. I asked the General with me if we were still in Punjab. I was awestruck when he told me that we had crossed Punjab and were in Lahore."

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