New Delhi: Lal Bahadur Shastri, who was the Prime Minister of India from 1964 to 1966, was one of the greatest to have served in that office. He left behind a lasting legacy as Indian PM with his important steps like the Green Revolution and the White Revolution which increased the supply of food grains and milk in the country. Even today, his famous slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ is hailed as an important slogan in India.
We have seen apparently rich people and businessmen taking loans from banks and then swindling crores of loans with the help of their powerful connections. However, there are also people who show integrity and honesty and repay their loans even after their death. One such person was Lal Bahadur Shastri, who despite being the PM of India, took a loan from the bank to buy a car, something which we cannot associate with the politicians of today’s age. Today, on his death anniversary, we take a look at this interesting fact about Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Car of PM Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri
Shastri Ji Took Loan of 5000 Rs From Bank to Buy This Car
After His Death, The Loan Was Repaid by Smt. Lalita Shastri From Pension Of Shastri Ji pic.twitter.com/ZGfgAR7qjk
— indianhistorypics (@IndiaHistorypic) October 1, 2022
Lal Bahadur Shastri: The PM who took a loan to buy a car
Lal Bahadur Shastri, while serving the nation in various capabilities (from a freedom fighter to the PM), came to be known as a man of great integrity and competence. He was tolerant, humble, with great inner strength and resoluteness, and someone who was tolerant of the language of the common people. A man of vision, he led the country towards progress. The teachings of Mahatma Gandhi influenced Lal Bahadur Shastri deeply and represented the best in Indian culture.
Anil Shastri, son of Lal Bahadur Shastri and a senior Congress politician, once reminisced that he and his siblings used to go to St Columba’s School on a tonga. They could use the office car but Shastri barred them from using it for any private work. At a time when more and more people of India were owning private car, there was growing demand in Shastri’s home to buy a car.
It was 1964 and VS Venkatraman, special assistant to the PM, enquired about cars. The family of Shastri found out that to buy a new Fiat, they have to shell out Rs 12,000, but they had only Rs 7,000 in the bank. PM Shastri applied for a loan at the Punjab National Bank and the amount was Rs 5,000. The loan was granted and the Shastri family finally had a car.
However, on January 11, 1966, a day after signing the Tashkent Declaration, Shastri passed away from cardiac arrest. After his death, his wife Lalita repaid the loan from the pension she received on behalf of Shastri. The car was a cream colored 1964 model Fiat with the number DLE 6. It is now displayed at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial on 1, Motilal Nehru Place, New Delhi.
Lal Bahadur Shastri, India’s Prime Minister from 1964-1966, exemplified integrity. Despite his high office, he took a bank loan to purchase a car for his family. This act, contrasting sharply with modern political practices, highlights his commitment to simple living and financial responsibility. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
