A leader of moral authority
Lal Bahadur Shastri (1904–1966) served as India's second Prime Minister, from 1964 to 1966. He came from a modest background, rose through the Congress organization, and was admired across party lines for personal integrity and quiet competence.
Jai Jawan Jai Kisan
His most enduring contribution was a phrase: Jai Jawan Jai Kisan — hail the soldier, hail the farmer. Coined during the food crisis and the 1965 conflict, it linked national security to food security and dignified the two groups whose labor sustained the country.
Why we honor him
Shastri's life is a reminder that public service is honorable on its own terms, and that humility scales.
