Misraji had sown the seeds of patriotism and anti-British feeling in the mind of Lal Bahadur too like other students. Lal Bahadur’s mind was more receptive to such ideas than others.
The British rule in India was a tragedy and merciless exploitation of Indian masses. His own story was similar to that of his country. His father, Sharda Prasad Shastri’s death was his mother’s tragedy. The mother and her son were as helpless as Mother India and its people. The relatives had been exploiting their helplessness.
Lal Bahadur had come to greatly respect the leaders of freedom politics like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Madan Mohan Malviya and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He could see the image of his late maternal grandpa Hazari Lal in them. India was like his hardworking mother.
Young Lal Bahadur had a great wish to see those national leaders in person from close quarters and hear them talk. He’s wish was soon to be fulfilled.
In 1916, foundation day ceremony of the Benaras Hindu University was organised. The university had been built with the generous donations from kings, princes and the rich people. They were all naturally invited. They had converged on Benaras with all their razzle-dazzle, regalia and paraphernalia.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was also invited. Gandhi was yet to make a political mark in India. But he had done great things in South Africa to fight the colonial rulers there with his novel Satyagraha method. Gopal Krishan Gokhale had brought him to India. To see the situation on ground level in India Gandhi had been touring the country for the past one year.
The people of India had built great hopes on him.
No one had any idea that Gandhi had made up his mind to launch his political battle in India with the speech he was to deliver there. Young Lal Bahadur had also gone there to see Gandhi. As a coincidence young Vinayak was also there who later grew up to become foremost disciple of Gandhiji to be known as Vinoba Bhave. He was in Benaras learning Sanskrit.
Gandhi’s speech came to the big wigs as a bolt from the blue.
In the presence of the Viceroy of India, kings and princes in their splendid best and other high and mighty Gandhi spoke—‘It is a matter of deep humiliation and shame for us that I am compelled this evening under the shadow of this great college, in this holy city, to address my countrymen in a language that is foreign to me…”
It raised many eyebrows. Gandhi had criticized the mother tongue of the rulers of India. What Gandhi further said was even more belligerent. He pointed towards the kings and princes who were sitting royally in their finery, ornaments, bejewelled turbans and other sparklers saying, “His Highness Maharaja who presided over deliberations yesterday spoke about the poverty of India…but what do we witness? This gorgeous showmanship and exhibition of jewellery…There is no salvation for India unless you strip yourselves of those gaudy jewellery and hold it a in trust for your own countrymen…the poor Indians.”
The organisers tried to hush Gandhi but could not silence him. Many of the kings rose up to walk out in protest but organisers somehow persuaded them to stay on.
Gandhi dwelled on his non-violence policy and satyagraha that he had so successfully utilised in India. He further said, “No amount of speeches will make us fit for self rule ever. Only our conduct will enable us to become fit for that…if I found it necessary for the salvation of India that aliens should be driven out, I would declare without any hesitation that they would have to go, and I hope I would be prepared to die in defence of that belief.”
Lal Bahadur was mightily impressed. What came as a surprise to him was the fact that Gandhi was a short frail man yet he delivered that powerful speech that shook the whites and their stooges. Lal Bahadur could see the spiritual and moral strength of Gandhi.
It filled Lal Bahadur with confidence. Gandhi was a living proof that the physical size did not matter. It was the purity of one’s mission and conviction that mattered.
In his heart Lal Bahadur had already become a disciple of Gandhi and a future freedom fighter. Joining Congress now was just a matter of time.
Gandhi’s speech made deep impact on Vinayak also. He was particularly, interested in non-violence theory and his ashram near Ahmedabad. He straight away went to the ashram and joined it. Over the period he emerged as the greatest Gandhian better known as Vinoba Bhave.
Young Lal Bahadur now read more about Gandhi and his works in South Africa. He began reading newspapers carefully to understand politics and the freedom movement. He read about Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gokhale, Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal and others.
To crush the agitations and freedom movements the British government passed black law called ‘Rawlett Act’ which gave sweeping powers to police. The police could arrest anyone merely on suspicion and keep him in jail without any trial.
The people of India exploded in anger. The country was rocked by protest marches, demonstrations and violent agitations.
It resulted in massacre of innocents on 1st April, 1919 Baisakhi Day in Jallianwala Bagh of Amritsar. Punjab Police Commissioner General O’Dyer got thousands of people of all age groups injured, maimed or killed.
A shocked India reacted like a wounded animal. The monstrous act of O’Dyer provoked unprecedented indignation. The Indians could no more live with the colonial rule of the British.
Jallianwala Bagh massacre was soundly condemned all over the country.
Gandhi launched ‘Non-cooperation’ movement which became a raging storm of protest marches, demonstrations, rallies and boycott of the British goods. Gandhi asked the youth to leave schools and the colleges to join the movement.
For Lal Bahadur it was the time for the crucial decision of his life. His mind was made up to join the forces of Gandhi and lend his bit to the freedom struggle.
The only issue that was not clear in his mind was when should he take the plunge, now or later?
The issue was settled when Lal Bahadur went to the school building to appear in the examination. Some freedom youth were blocking the path of the examinees and requesting them to boycott the examinations in support of the non-cooperation movement.
The leader of the picketers said with folded hands, “We won’t stop those who want to go in but they will have to walk over us.”
The mode of appeal impressed Lal Bahadur. He knew that his moment of taking the plunge had arrived.
How could he let down his ideal, Gandhi?
He turned back and returned home. The guardian and the elders realised that Lal Bahadur had skipped the examination in favour of the freedom efforts.
They were annoyed. Lal Bahadur was supposed to complete his education and become the provider of his family.
The news that Lal Bahadur had not taken the exam disappointed his teachers. Even Misraji was not happy. Although he preached patriotism and freedom of the country, yet it did not mean that a student should sabotage his own education. An uneducated person would have no future even in the independent India.
Misraji did not mince words in telling his protege that he had done a wrong thing in not appearing for the examination.
For the first time Lal Bahadur expressed his disagreement with Misraji.
He said, “I could not ignore the call of the motherland. To me boycotting the examination looked my duty.”
The thinking of Lal Bahadur surprised the teacher. His protege was taking the politics too seriously and too early in his life.
Misraji advised, “You should think about the consequences before taking such decisions.”
Lal Bahadur was not sorry for his decision. He was too keen to do something about the country. How could a far sighted person like Gandhiji be wrong? He had given a call to the students to leave the schools and colleges to join the battle for freedom. Surely Gandhiji had greater wisdom than his teachers. That was why entire country held him in such high esteem.
Such thoughts gave him confidence.
Lal Bahadur tried to explain to his mother why he had taken such decision and asked for her support. The poor lady was too confused to know if her son had done the right thing. She was too homely a woman to know what was going on in the country. She only had a general idea of the presence of alien rulers in India and Gandhiji leading the freedom struggle of the country.
She could only have faith in her Nanhe that he would take the right decision.
Lal Bahadur was 17 years old when he joined the freedom movement as a full time volunteer. He took part in protest marches and the demonstrations. Once he was arrested but let off soon as he was too young.
Civil Disobedience movement followed the non-cooperation movement which was suspended when an violent incident took place at Chauri-Chaura. The grusome act of violence made Gandhiji announce suspension of the movement.
The students who had joined the movement again resumed their studies.
Lal Bahadur didn’t go back to his old school. He joined Kashi Vidya Peeth. Some well known teachers taught there.
Dr. Bhagwandas was one of them. He taught philosophy. Related to this institute were people who later emerged as the country’s prominent politicians, ideologues and leaders namely Acharya Narendra Dev, Acharya Jeevatram Kriplani, Shri Prakash, Dr. Sampoornanand etc. The institute professed the ideal of non-violence. The curriculum was modern.
Lal Bahadur studied there for four years and earned the degree of ‘Shastri’. Now he was Lal Bahadur Shastri. The education received at Vidya Peeth proved crucial in the later political life of Lal Bahadur. It endeared him to those elements in the Congress who were partial to the traditional values rather than western ways of thinking. The party had good numbers of such people.
During his years at Vidya Peeth his frugal ways continued.
He could not afford the fare. So, he walked ten kilometers to the institution from his house and then walked back in the evening. For all four years he pounded the road 20 kms a day. Gradually he became very conscious of money which became his character.
Decades later, when he became Prime Minister of independent India, he was the only minister who had no car of his own. To save the family from embarrassment he at last bought a car of cheap quality on instalments. Every month the car instalement took away a good part of his salary which made him flinch.
He remained clinically honest to the last breath of his life. After all only the truly honest natured people pound the roads or vice-versa.
Kashi Vidya Peeth years were when he became truly Gandhian. He could no more put burden of his upkeep on the relatives.
He had full faith in the wisdom of Gandhiji. He had started working in a local Khadi Shop inspired by the teaching of Gandhiji. He kept minimum possible portion of his wages for his own expenses and would send the rest to his mother who was supporting two daughters. He had joined the freedom movement against all the advices. He was to prove that his joining the freedom efforts was not dereliction of duty towards his family.
His mother also understood how her Nanhe was toiling hard for the money she received. It was infact a tribute to her from her darling son. The amount of money did not matter but the loving sincerety did.
Lal Bahadur Shastri worked in the shop even at the expense of his study time. He would make it up by studying at night at the cost of his sleeping hours.
He was getting drawn into National politics deeper and deeper. Lal Bahadur had become life member of ‘The Servants of India Society’. This organisation was founded by Lala Lajpat Rai inspired by Gokhale who had started the ‘Servants of India Society’ in Pune to impart training to youth to prepare them into volunteers in the service of the nation.
Lalaji was doing great work in the field of the spread of education in India besides fighting against the rampant social evils.
The members of the society were required to lead a simple and honest life. Lal Bahadur learnt the importance of social work and reforms because the basic reasons of India’s ills were ignorance, illiterarcy and social evils. Without social reforms independence would be meaningless.
