Lal Bahadur Shastri

Lal Bahadur Shastri was a small, thin man, but he had a giant heart. As a boy he swam across a river every day just to reach school because his family could not afford the boat fare.

He became India's second Prime Minister, and when the country faced a war and a food shortage together, he asked every citizen to skip one meal a week to help farmers and soldiers. His slogan 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' — 'Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer' — still rings out today.

Lal Bahadur Shastri was born in 1904 in Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh. He grew up in poor circumstances but became a devoted follower of Gandhi and spent many years in British jails during the freedom movement.

After Independence he held important cabinet posts and was known for his honesty — he once resigned as Railway Minister after a railway accident, taking moral responsibility.

He became Prime Minister after Nehru's death in 1964. During his short term, India fought the 1965 war with Pakistan and stood firm.

He also encouraged the beginnings of the Green Revolution and the White Revolution in milk. He signed the Tashkent Declaration with Pakistan on 10 January 1966 and died in Tashkent just hours later, in circumstances that are still discussed.

He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1966, becoming the first person to receive it after his death. His slogan 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' remains one of India's most loved.