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| Bust statue of Lal Bahadur Shastri |
‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ was a clarion call given to the nation in 1965 by Lal Bahadur Shastri, the second Prime Minister of independent India. In English, it translates like ‘Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer’.
Why he had hailed the soldiers?
Why he had hailed the farmers?
Why he had hailed both the soldiers and farmers, simultaneously?
To find the answers of these questions or rather to understand the significance of this slogan we have to travel back nearly 55 years to an India of 1965. But before that let us have a look at the humble personality who had guided India through troubled waters of India-Pakistan war of 1965 and acute food shortage for Indian population, prevailing at that point of time. He was a man who was true son of the soil with a lethal combination of soft heart and nerves of steel. A down to the earth person with rare combination of austerity, dedication, ethics, honesty, integrity, responsibility and all round simplicity.
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| Issued on 26 Jan 1966 |
Lal Bahadur was born on 02 Oct 1904 in a place called Mughal Sarai, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh under British ruled India. Presently, the place falls under Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar of Uttar Pradesh, India. Mughal Sarai has been renamed as tribute to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, the then President of Bharatiya Jan Sangh who was found dead at Mughal Sarai railway station on 11 Feb 1968, under mysterious circumstances.
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| Stamp issued on Deendayal Upadhyay |
As a small boy, Lal Bahadur was fondly called 'Nanhe' (little one) at home. After graduation at Kashi Vidyapith, Varanasi he was awarded the degree of 'Shastri' and since then he came to known as Lal Bahadur Shastri by dropping family surname ‘Srivastava’. In Sanskrit, Shastri means who knows Shastra i.e. specific aspects of religious (Hinduism) or cultural practices.
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| Now known as Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith |
Kashi Vidyapith was established on 10 Feb 1921 and was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. In 1995, it was renamed as Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith (University at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India). On the occasion of Golden Jubilee, was commemorated through a postage stamp issued on 10 Feb 1971. Incidentally, on 10 Feb 2021, the University has successfully completed a century of glorious service to the nation producing illustrious alumni like Chandra Shekhar Azad (freedom fighter), Kamlapati Tripathi (former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh), Ramakrishna Hegde (former chief minister of Karnataka) etc.
After demise of Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Premier of independent India, Lal Bahadur Shastri took over as second Prime Minister of India (09 June 1964). It is unfortunate for India that a Prime Minister like him could serve the nation only for 1 year 216 days! For comparison purpose, the tenures of preceding (Jawahar Lal Nehru) and succeeding (Indira Gandhi) Prime Ministers were for 16 years 286 days and 15 years 350 days, respectively.
After war with China in 1962, another war with neighbor broke out on 01 Sept 1965 when Pakistan launched ‘Operation Gibraltar’ to capture Kashmir. That Indo-Pak war (or Second Kashmir War) had lasted for 22 days. However, there was difference between India of 1962 and 1965. In 1965, under the leadership of Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indian armed force demonstrated and exhibited extraordinary courage, valor and launched counter offensive.
Along with the war with Pakistan at the border, in the domestic front, Lal Bahadur was fighting a battle of different kind. It was fight against hunger. After very good monsoon of the year 1964-1965, agriculture dependent India of 1965 and 1966, experienced deficit monsoon. This resulted into severe draught and acute shortage of food grains, all over the country. The trouble was coupled with growth in population.
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| Source: TheBetterIndia |
Consequently, Indian citizen became largely dependent on foreign food aid, particularly from US. ‘Food for Peace Act’ (FPA 1956) of US was also known as Public Law 480 or PL-480. India bought food grains from US under PL-480 at a concessional rate and payment terms were in INR. India had dearth of foreign exchange at that point of time. For example, for the Bollywood film 'Around the World' which was shot in different parts of the world in 1967 (a decade later), the lead actor and famous thespian Raj Kapoor went abroad with only USD 8.00, as was permissible as per law, at that point of time.
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(Food for Peace) “A far better weapon than a bomber in our competition with the Communists for influence in the developing world.” - George McGovern, the then Director of the scheme.
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| McGovern with J F Kennedy (Source: Internet) |
It was a time tested strategy of US. In post World War II situation (1945 onwards), US had pushed its surplus wheat to a rice eating Japan who had suffered humiliating defeat and was facing acute shortage of food grains. American military had occupied the country from 1945 to 1952.
1971 Indo-Pak war, which saw emergence of Bangladesh, drew ire from US. US suspended economic aid to India. As a sort of retaliation, India on 29 Dec 1971, canceled food grain import under PL-480 from US, even before expiry of the Indo-US said agreement. Subsequently, US stopped the export of petroleum products to India in 1975. History completed a full circle on 02 Oct 2017, when a parcel of 1.6 million barrels of US crude (against a total order of 3.9 million barrels) was received through MT New Prosperity, Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) tanker at Paradip port, east coast of India.
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| Arrival of US origin crude oil to India (Source: Internet) |
Let us go back to the history again.
Under nationwide food shortage, Lal Bahdur first introduced skipping one meal a day for his own family. Subsequently, he urged his countrymen to skip one meal every day, so that there would be something to feed the mouths of less fortunate. He practiced what he preached.
During the month of Sept’1965, he was regularly maintaining his communication with people. His addresses were broadcast regularly over wavelengths of All India Radio (AIR). People would flock around radio sets of the locality to listen to him. It was at a time when radios were available in limited households.
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| TV license fee (Personal collection) |
It may be interesting to note that radio owners had to renew radio licenses every year by paying requisite fees, known as Broadcast Receiver License (B.R.L.) Fee at post offices. The system of radio license was introduced in India in 1928 by British Government and was in vogue till Mar’ 1985.
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| Radio License Fee levied at that time (Personal collection) |
Lal Bahdur would also addressed people in rallies. In the month of Sept’1965, one day he went to a village, named Urva (at about 35 km away from Allahabad) to address one public gathering. While addressing people present there, for the first time he uttered ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’. With these magical words, he touched the chords of the crowd. There were instant thunderous roaring and applause from the people. Those four words hailed our brave soldiers (in the war front) and farmers (in the agricultural field). Rest is history.
At the junction of twin challenges of food scarcity in domestic front and aggressive neighbour at the border, Lal Bahdur was steadily steering the country like an experienced captain of a ship in troubled water. The turn around of India from the brink of country-wide starvation is largely credited him. Subsequent Green Revolution and White Revolution or Operation Flood (a nation wide grid of milk producers by eliminating middlemen) were results of his farsightedness, planning and strategies.
During Indo-Pak war, in the arena of geopolitics, Pakistan had supports of US and China while USSR supported India. Lyndon Baines Johnson (also known as LBJ) was President of US at that point of time. In Asian landscape, during his tenure full scale Vietnam War was declared by US. US under his leadership also tried to rein in India in the Indo-Pak war front using PL-480 as leverage.
With the intervention of United Nations Security Council a ceasefire resulted on 22 Sept 1965. At the mediation of USSR (lead by Aleksey Kosygin, Soviet Premier), Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indian Premier and Muhammad Ayub Khan, Pakistani President met at Tashkent Uzbek SSR of the then Soviet Union during 04-10 Jan 1966. Today Tashkent is in Uzbekistan. The Tashkent Declaration was signed on 10 Jan 1966 and he died at Tashkent on very next day 11 Jan 1966, at the age of 61 years! Mystery has shrouded his death but that is a different story.
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| Autographed by Mr Anil Shastri, son of Lal Bahadur Shastri (Personal Collection) |
Within a fortnight of his unfortunate demise, on 26 Jan 1966, (Republic Day of India) Department of Posts and Telegraphs (nowadays called by India Post) of Government of India, issued a commemorative postage stamp on him.
At that point of time Indira Gandhi, daughter of Jawahar Lal Nehru was Minister of Information and Broadcasting. It will not be out of point to mention that Lal Bahadur had inducted Indira Gandhi in his cabinet and had appointed her as Minister of Information and Broadcasting.
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| Indira Gandhi on Russian stamp (Personal collection) |
On 21 Jan 1966, Smt. Indira Gandhi wrote about the stamp -
"The commemorative stamp that the Posts & Telegraphs Department is issuing is a token of the high place Lal Bahadurji will occupy in our hearts and in the history of our land."
Afterwards, she took over as third Prime Minister of India on 24 Jan 1966. Gulzarilal Nanda had hold the reign from 11 Jan 1966 to 24 Jan 1966.
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| Prime Minister for 13 days |
On the same occasion (Republic Day), on the same day (26 Jan 1966) another postage stamp was issued about the valour of Indian armed forces in the 1965 war with Pakistan. The stamp had depiction of all three wings of armed forces viz. Army, Air force and Navy. The stamp had the bilingual (Hindi and English) mention of "Jai Jawan'.
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Hail the Soldier (Personal collection) |
If a commemorative postage stamp was issued on ‘Jai Jawan’, can the other half of the slogan - ‘Jai Kisan’ be far behind?
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| Hail the Farmer (Personal collection) |
So another commemorative stamp depicting Indian farmers (kisans) at the backdrop of lush greenery of agricultural field was issued on 11 Jan 1967, the first death anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri. The stamp had bilingual (Hindi and English) mention of ‘Jai Kisan’. With these two stamps, one each on Jai Jawan and Jai Kisan, the famous slogan of Lal Bahadur Shastri, entered permanently in the world of philately.
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| Autographed by Mr Anil Shastri, son of Lal Bahadur Shastri (Personal collection) |
On 24 Feb 1966 Hungary Post (Magyar Posta) had issued a commemorative stamp in his honour.
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| Tribute from Hungary (Courtesy: Rainbow Stamp News) |
In the stamp, there were mention of his places of birth (Mughal Sarai) and of death (Taskhent).
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| A close up (Courtesy: Rainbow Stamp News) |
One Definitive stamp (stamp for regular use by post) on Lal Bahadur Shastri, worth INR 5, was issued by India Post of 11 Series of definitive stamp under ’Builders of Modern India’ (2nd Issue 2015-2016) theme.
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| Definitive stamp (Personal collection) |
Lal Bahadur Shastri was posthumously honored with Bharat Ratna in the same year (1966). At the time of institution (1954) of Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of India, there was no option of awarding posthumously which was subsequently amended in Jan 1955. Lal Bhadur Shastri was first to be honored posthumously with Bharat Ratna.
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| Mr. Anil Shastri putting autograph on First Day Cover of his father (Personal collection) |
Even today, the alliteration based legendary slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’, which was coined by Lal Bahadur Shastri, reverberates in every corner of the country. The soft spoken Lal Bahadur had left Delhi airport on 03 Jan 1966 and the lifeless mortal remain of the great son of Mother India returned through the same Delhi airport on 11th Jan 1966.
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| Kumar Biswas in the company of Mr. Anil Shastri |
On 11 Jan 2021, on his 56th death anniversary, we salute the immortal soul.
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Bibliography:
‘Lal Bahadur Shastri: Lessons in Leadership’ - Anecdotes by Anil Shastri and Wisdom Windows by Pavan Choudhary
Webliography:
https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/former_pm/shri-lal-bahadur-shastri/
https://in.rediff.com/news/2004/oct/06spec1.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lal_Bahadur_Shastri
https://www.mintageworld.com/media/detail/2866-tashkent-declaration/
https://www.thequint.com/news/india/jai-jawan-jai-kisan-memorable-slogan-but-what-does-it-mean
Disclaimer:
The information provided in the article is for general informational purposes only. All information is provided in good faith. This is only for the sharing of knowledge of Philately with philatelist fraternity. No commercial angle, whatsoever, is involved. No intention to infringe any type of copyright. Under no circumstances I shall have any liability for reliance on any information provided in the story.
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The story was published in Jan 2022 issue of popular philatelic e-magazine - Ananthapuri Stamp Bulletin. Scans of relevant pages are given below:-
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| Cover page |
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| Index page |
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| Page 1 of 4 |
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| Page 2 of 4 |
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| Page 3 of 4 |
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| Page 4 of 4 |
