Lal Bahadur Shastri's Wheat Revolution

Post independence, India was going through difficult times. Hit by famine, the 1960s witnessed severe food shortages across the country. The nation was dependent on America for wheat. As per the agreement, the US under the PL- 480 program supplied wheat to India against rupee payment. That seemed to be the best option even though the wheat was not in the same category quality wise as compared to the grain consumed by Americans.

Knowing fully well that India was with its back to the wall, America started using “political levers”. In the 1965 war, the Indian forces were just about two hours from Lahore, and Pakistan desperately tried to bring pressure through the US for a ceasefire. The US known to 'run with the hares and hunt with the hounds', threatened to curtail wheatshipments in a bid to bring about a ceasefire.

Lal Bahadur Shastri decided to take the bull by the horns. He appealed to his countrymen to conserve money which was gold in times of war. Shastri also set an example by stopping tuitions for his son who was not good at English by asking the tutor to discontinue.

He exhorted people to forego one meal and curtail unnecessary expenditure. Quite a few people started wheat cultivation in their backyards. With stalwarts like M S Swaminathan and C Subramaniam behind him, the seeds of Green Revolution were sown by Shastri. He refused to either beg or bow to the Americans for food.

Today, India is the second largest wheat producer in the world.

Indeed an example where a Threat was converted into an Opportunity.

Photo Credit - Punjab Kesari

Engage your organisation with

a thought-provoking session!

Know more about our Corporate Training Programs