The Resilient Legacy

The year was 1964. The then Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri wanted to purchase a car. So he asked the special assistant in his office to identify a car along with the cost. In the limited choice he had, the PM settled for a Fiat.

In those days, the Italian car was making a fashion statement across India with its hand shift gears, upholstery, sleek body and metallic finish. While the rich would drive with one hand on the wheel & another on the window, the less fortunate including yours truly would admire the features from a distance.

The prime minister was informed about the cost of the car which was Rs 12,000. But the family had just about Rs 7000 in their savings bank account. The PM applied for a loan of Rs 5000 from Punjab National Bank ( PNB) and the amount was paid to him. The car was delivered to his residence.

Unfortunately, Lal Bahadur Shastri passed away in Tashkent in 1966. His widow the late Lalita Shastri took it upon herself to repay the loan and cleared the outstanding amount from her pension.

Even a layman could see the traits of honesty and simplicity deeply ingrained in the Shastri family. I still remember his speeches full of patriotic fervor that moved a whole nation during the 1965 war. Womenfolk unhesitatingly parted with their jewels & Mangalsutra (the auspicious thread) to raise money for the brave soldiers.

The 1964 model beige colored car with its immaculate grill along with the FIAT insignia is exhibited at the Lal Bahadur Shastri memorial at 1, Motilal Marg in the capital. To this day, people throng to see the car and take photos.

This is no ordinary car. It tells you the story of a boy from Mughalsarai who swam across the Ganges twice a day to reach school as he had no money to take the ferry; who later became the PM and exhorted people to eat one meal a day in difficult times; who coined the slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ and gave the enemy a bloody nose.

Fifty seven years after he left the world behind, Lal Bahadur Shastri still lives in the hearts of millions of his countrymen.

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