Lal Bahadur Shastri, a man of slight stature, took a larger-than-life stand as India's prime minister. A man of few words, his correspondence was to the point, his speeches succinct. His silence, which some understood as a willingness to acquiesce, was both a strength and a weakness. But in fact, during his short term of just about eighteen months, he established institutions that brought India on the path of self-sufficiency and helped defend it against external aggression.
Prime Minister Shastri galvanised the nation with his slogan 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan', recognising the farmers for contributing to both food and national security. He is credited with laying the foundation of the Green Revolution, providing an institutional format to the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices and the Food Corporation of India, and establishing the National Dairy Development Board.
Shastri is also strongly etched in public memory as the first Indian prime minister to direct the army to cross the border. To his leadership, therefore, goes the credit for the first 'surgical strike'. He established key national and domestic security organisations like the Border Security Force and the Central Bureau of Investigation.
In The Great Conciliator, Sanjeev Chopra draws on meticulous research to turn the spotlight on an often overlooked figure in Indian politics and makes a case for reassessing the legacy of India's unassuming second prime minister.
