Lal Bahadur Shastri death anniversary: Inspirational quotes by the former PM of India

The nation is observing the death anniversary of its former Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri. A charismatic leader and a champion of democracy, he coined the slogan 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan', the objective of which was to lead the people of India to self-sustenance and self-reliance. Shastri was a Congress leader and India’s second PM. He led the country successfully during the Indo-Pak war of 1965.

Shastri jumped into India's freedom movement while he was still in school at the behest of Mahatma Gandhi. He was jailed but that did not deter him from seeing the country through the crucial period of independence and the initial years of governance.

As we remember his immense contribution to the freedom struggle and nation-building, we look at some of Shastri's inspirational quotes that will be relevant for the generations to come.

We believe in peace and peaceful development, not only for ourselves but for people all over the world.
The basic idea of governance, as I see it, is to hold the society together so that it can develop and march towards certain goals.
The preservation of freedom, is not the task of soldiers alone. The whole nation has to be strong.
India will have to hang down her head in shame if even one person is left who is said in any way to be untouchable.
The rule of law should be respected so that the basic structure of our democracy is maintained and further strengthened.
Those who govern must see how the people react to administration. Ultimately, the people are the final arbiters.
Sampling out corruption is a very tough job, but I say so in all seriousness that we would be failing in our duty if we do not tackle this problem seriously and with determination.
It is most regrettable that nuclear energy is being harnessed today for making nuclear weapons.