Book Review
By Dr Satish C Aikant
The Great Conciliator: Lal Bahadur Shastri and the Transformation of India
By Sanjeev Chopra
Bloomsbury India, New Delhi, 2025, Pages xviii+ 369, Rs. 899
When Dr Sanjeev Copra took charge as Director of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie he must have found it somewhat disconcerting that there was paucity of published material on the life and times of the man after whom the institution was named. Even the otherwise well-equipped library of the Academy didn’t have much to show in its collections. Chopra then decided to chronicle the life and times of the man and bring into focus the seminal contribution he made to Indian polity that had lasting impact on the administrative and strategic thinking in post-independence India. The result of the intensive research he carried out is the author’s magnum opus The Great Conciliator: Lal Bahadur Shastri and the Transformation of India giving a critical assessment of the illustrious journey of Shastri of more than four decades in Indian politics that included a nineteen-month term as the Prime Minister.
It is not merely coincidental but also providential that Lal Bahadur Shastri shared his birthday with MK Gandhi whose pervasive influence informs the life of the former. The social milieu of the middle class Kayastha household in Mughalsarai where Shastri grew up, and Kashi Vidyapeeth where he had his early education, played a significant role in shaping his personality. His baptism in social service took place under the watch of Lala Lajpat Rai who had founded the Servants of People Society. Thereafter he plunged into social work and active politics and was jailed thrice for participating in the freedom movement at the call of Gandhi and Nehru.
Shastri embodied the Gandhian principle of simple living. He avoided ostentation and maintained a humble demeanour, which resonated with the common people. As a public servant, his integrity was unquestionable. He translated all this into his governance style, where he prioritized ethical decision-making and transparency in dealing with various situations.
In 1921, Shastri left school to join Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement, which called for Indians to boycott British-backed institutions. This decision marked the beginning of his active involvement in the Indian independence movement. The commitment to Gandhian values was evident throughout his life, as he dedicated himself to social service and the upliftment of marginalized communities.
Chopra emphasises reconciliation as the singular virtue that Shastri inculcated and promoted. He worked on the premise that there could be no irreconcilable differences. As a politician and administrator, he felt that the ability to listen was crucial for a middle ground to be reached. Several instances are cited in the book when Shastri emerges as a great negotiator and consensus builder. Very often there were personality clashes within the Congress Party. Stalwarts like Jawaharlal Nehru and Purshottam Das Tandon did not agree with one another on several issues. While their respective camp followers exploited their differences to widen the rift between them, Shastri tried his best to reconcile the two. As opposed to Nehru who was somewhat authoritarian and dogmatic, Shastri was consultative in his approach. The current fracas over language policy reminds us of the situation faced by Shastri when the southern states strongly opposed the proposal of removing the language grace period by launching protests. Shastri listened to them and was able to diffuse the tension by conceding to their demands. He could listen to different voices, consider different perspectives, and step beyond his comfort zone to be accommodative.
The book explores Shastri’s brief yet impactful tenure as prime minister, during which he tackled significant challenges, including a nationwide food crisis. He prioritized the agricultural sector which had been neglected in favour of heavy industries. His support for agricultural reforms laid the groundwork for the Green Revolution in India which aimed to increase food production through modern agricultural techniques. The slogan ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ he famously coined underscored the dual importance of national defence and agricultural development, highlighting his commitment to the welfare of both soldiers and farmers.
As a prominent member of the Indian National Congress, Shastri worked closely with Nehru whose vision of a modern, industrialized India influenced his own policies, although he also recognized the need to address agricultural issues, which had been somewhat sidelined in favour of industrial development. Shastri’s leadership during his premiership reflected a balance between Nehru’s industrial focus and the agricultural reforms necessary for India’s growth.
Chopra highlights the role of Shastri as an institution builder. Mention must be made here of his major contribution associated with the formation of the Border Security Force (BSF) to safeguard India’s borders. The BSF was the result of the Rann of Kutch incident which triggered the need for a centralised border protection system. When the BSF was proposed, the states were unhappy to give up their powers; however, Shastri managed to convince them about the strategic imperatives. As we know, the Force has helped in a big way to protect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It can be proudly said that BSF today is the world’s largest paramilitary force.
As the Railway Minister in Nehru’s cabinet, Shastri pleaded for the need to weld together the numerous railway systems into one coordinated system, divided into zonal administrative units based on considerations of administrative and operational efficiency.
Reference is frequently made to the manner in which he held himself responsible for the two major railway accidents that took place and his resignation accepting his moral responsibility. Shastri set the moral benchmark which has haunted the railway ministers after the Nehra era.
While he was the Union Transport Minister, he initiated the recruitment of women as bus conductors. It was an impressive but quiet move toward gender equality and women empowerment taken without flaunting the emblazoned banner of ‘Nari Shakti’ currently in vogue.
Shastri’s tenure also saw efforts to combat corruption, a significant ethical challenge in governance. As the minister of home affairs before becoming prime minister, he initiated measures to address corruption within government institutions. He established the Santhanam Committee, tasked with identifying and recommending solutions to curb corruption bringing accountability and transparency in public administration.
During Shastri’s tenure as Prime Minister there were skirmishes between India and Pakistan in 1965 which escalated into major hostilities and Ayub Khan, Pakistan’s President, launched an operation to infiltrate Pakistan’s forces into the Indian side of Kashmir so as to drive an insurgency against Indian rule. India under the firm leadership of Shastri responded strongly. The situation eventually led to a ceasefire. An agreement was subsequently mediated by Soviet Premier Aleksey Kosygin who invited Shastri and Ayub to Tashkent. The conference in Tashkent in January 1966 was meant to work out modalities of a withdrawal and propose a wider discussion for a peaceful settlement. The Shastri-Ayub Tashkent pact did effectively end the second Indo-Pakistan 1965 War but could not lead to lasting peace in the subcontinent. The camaraderie that seemed to develop between the two sides proved to be short-lived. Tragically, only a few hours following a reception to celebrate the declaration, Shastri breathed his last due to cardiac arrest. The author steers clear of the conspiracy theories that surrounded Shastri’s death on foreign soil. It is pertinent to mention here that Shastri had earlier suffered two strokes which had rendered his heart vulnerable.
The book offers valuable insights into Shastri’s leadership qualities, his integrity and the socio-political landscape of India during his time, making it an essential reading for those interested in Indian history and politics. He had a significant influence on Indian people. It was characteristic of him to retain focus on pragmatic solutions to pressing national issues. Despite his brief tenure as prime minister from 1964 to 1966, he has left us a lasting legacy.
While the readers will draw different lessons from the manifold concerns of Shastri, my key takeaway from the book is the idea of ethical governance that should form the bedrock of any political dispensation. The idea is not only normative but also pragmatic.
Chopra ends the book summing up the narrative with a line from Mark Antony’s oration over the dead body of Marcus Brutus in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: ‘This was a Man.’ Could one say more?
(The reviewer is former Professor and Head of the Department of English, HNB Garhwal University and former Fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla)
