Facts Kejriwal should know about India's most austere PM, Lal Bahadur Shastri

New Delhi: In the times of Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers, who wear ordinary clothes, shun security and travel in non-descript cars, here are some illuminating facts about Lal Bahadur Shastri, India's most honest and austere Prime Minister: 1. When Shastri became PM after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, he was given the official residence of Prime Minister alongwith the official Chevrolet Impala car. Shastri rarely used that car. He used it only for official ceremonies to welcome visiting heads of governments. One day, his son Sunil took the Impala car for a joyride, returned home and calmly got the car parked. When Shastri came to know about this, he asked his driver, how many kilometres the car travelled. The driver replied, 14 kilometres. Shastri ordered the driver to write "14 km, private use" in the log book. He directed his wife to pay seven paise per km for the travel to his private secretary to be deposited in the national exchequer. 2. When Shastri was Railway Minister, he was to travel to Bombay in a train. A first class coach was arranged, and when Shastri sat inside the coach, he found it was too cool inside, while the hot Delhi summer reigned outside.He asked his PA Kailashbabu, why is this coach too cold. The PA replied, Sir, we have installed a cooler. Shastri said: "A cooler? Why don't you guys ask me before doing such a thing. Don't other passengers feel the heat travelling in this train? Actually, I should have been travelling 3rd class, but if that is not possible, at least do what is possible. This is highly unjustified. Get the cooler taken out when the train stops." The train stopped at Mathura, the cooler was taken out, and that first class coach without the cooler, with a plyboard stuck in its place, still survives. 3.Once an almirah full of torn and old khadi clothes worn by Shastri was noticed. While his family tried to throw away the clothes, Shastri intervened. He said: "These khadi clothes have been woven lovingly by people using charkha. Come November, I will wear these old, torn clothes, and a coat on them. Nobody will notice." Shastri once gave away an old, torn khadi kurta to his wife and asked him to cut handkerchieves out of it.4. When India faced grain shortage in 1965, Shastri appealed to the people to grow wheat or rice wherever they could. He himself started growing wheat at his official bungalow on Delhi's Janpath. There are pictures showing Shastri ploughing the lawn to grow wheat. Shastri had also appealed to people to observe half day fast to tackle food crisis.5. During the freedom movement, when Shastri was imprisoned, he alongwith other senior leaders were provided special meals by the jail authorities, but Shastri used to distribute these special meals among other prisoners, and used to sit with prisoners to consume the drab jail meal. When the Jail Superintendent came to know of this, he came to Shastri and asked why he was distributing his special meals to others, Shastri replied: "My dear brother, I am not in jail to spend the rest of my life. I am not going to get these special dishes outside. So, why should I change my taste and habits? For me, this ordinary meal is a sumptuous one." 6. At the age of 11, Shastri, on hearing Mahatma Gandhi's speech in Varanasi, decided to join the freedom movement.During the Non-Cooperation Movement he was arrested, but released because he was a minor. In those days, dowry was a normal routine for weddings. But Shastri refused to take dowry. He only accepted a charkha and some yards of khadi from his in-laws, setting a precedent in his locality. In 1930, Shastri was jailed for two and a half years during the Salt Satyagraha. He came to know that his daughter was unwell. The British authorities allowed him 15 days parole on condition that he would not indulge in political activities. By the time he reached home, his daughter had died. He conducted her funeral rites and returned to jail much before the parole period was over.7. Some firsts by Lal Bahadur Shastri: As Railways and Transport Minister, he was the first to introduce female bus conductors in Delhi. When he was appointed Home Minister, he was the first to direct Delhi Police not to use batons against protesters, but use water cannons. As Home Minister, he was the first to constitute a Committee on Prevention of Corruption under K. Santhanam, the famous Tamil Nadu politician and journalist. The Santhanam Committee report is still considered a landmark in the studies of black money circulation in India.