Birth Anniversary of Two National Icons Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi & Lal Bahadur Shashtri

Gandhi and Shashtri contributed not only for India’s freedom but also equal society

• Gandhi Jayanti and Lal Bahadur Shashtri birth anniversary is celebrated
  across the country today on 2nd October, 2020
• Today is also observed as international non violence day on behalf of birth
  anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
• Shashtri had contributed for white revolution and green revolution in India and
  also proved as a veteran prime minister of this country

Gandhi Jayanti and Importance

• It is celebrated annually on 2 October, and it is one of the three national
  holidays of India
• The UN General Assembly announced on 15 June 2007 that it adopted a
  resolution which declared that 2 October will be celebrated as the International
  Day of Non-Violence
• It is one of the official declared national holidays of India, observed in all of its
  states and territories
• Gandhi Jayanti is marked by prayer services and tributes all over India,
  including at Gandhi’s memorial Raj Ghat in New Delhi where he was cremated
• Popular activities include prayer meetings, commemorative ceremonies in
  different cities by colleges, local government institutions and socio-political
  institutions
• Painting and essay competitions are conducted and best awards are granted for
  projects in schools and the community encouraging a non-violent way of life as
  well as celebrating Gandhi’s effort in the Indian independence movement
• Gandhi’s favourite Bhajan (Hindu devotional song), Raghupati Raghav Raja
  Ram, is usually sung in his memory
• Statues of Mahatma Gandhi throughout the country are decorated with flowers
  and garlands, and some people avoid drinking alcohol or eating meat on the day

Brief about Mahatma Gandhiji

• He was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist who
  employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India’s
  independence from British rule
• In turn inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world
• The honorific Mahatma first applied to him in 1914 in South Africa, is now used
  throughout the world
• His contributions to the formation of Modern India also gave him the title –
  “Father of the Nation”
• Gandhi’s statements, letters and life have attracted much political and scholarly
  analysis of his principles, practices and beliefs, including what influenced him
• Some writers present him as a paragon of ethical living and pacifism, while
  others present him as a more complex, contradictory and evolving character
  influenced by his culture and circumstances

Lal Bahadur Shashtri Jayanti and importance

• As we celebrate the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the country pays
  respect to another great freedom fighter, statesman and India’s second Prime
  Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri
• ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’, the slogan of Lal Bahadur Shastri, is etched in our minds
  as it captures the true spirit of India
• Lal Bahadur Shastri’s public life has left an indelible mark on the country
• He was unique in the way he connected with the common man
• Humble, soft-spoken but a strong leader, Lal Bahadur Shastri took over as the
  Prime Minister in May 1964, after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru
• In Independent India’s first cabinet, Lal Bahadur Shastri held key portfolios like
  the Home Affairs and the Railways

Brief about Lal Bahadur Shashtri

• He was an Indian politician who served as the second Prime Minister of India
• He promoted the White Revolution – a national campaign to increase the
  production and supply of milk – by supporting the Amul milk co-operative of
  Anand, Gujarat and creating the National Dairy Development Board
• Underlining the need to boost India’s food production, Shastri also promoted
  the Green Revolution in India in 1965
• This led to an increase in food grain production, especially in Punjab, Haryana
  and Uttar Pradesh
• He led the country during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965
• His slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” (“Hail to the soldier; Hail to the farmer”)
  became very popular during the war
• He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna
• Shastri was a secularist who refused to mix religion with politics
• Shastri was known for his honesty and humility throughout his life. He was
  posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, and a memorial “Vijay Ghat” was
  built for him in Delhi

Pic courtesy : oneindia.com