Question

Describe any two challenges faced by India during the term of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Hint:

To remember Shastri's challenges, connect them directly to his legendary rallying slogan: “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” (Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer). “Jai Jawan” addressed the military threat of the 1965 War, while “Jai Kisan” addressed the critical food security crisis.

Answer 1

Step 1: Introduction to Shastri's Volatile Tenure (1964--1966):
Following the sudden demise of Jawaharlal Nehru in June 1964, Lal Bahadur Shastri took office during a highly critical transitional phase in Indian political history. His brief tenure was characterized by acute national vulnerability, defined by concurrent domestic and external security crises that threatened the structural stability of the Indian Union.

Step 2: Challenge 1 --- Critical Food Scarcity and Severe Agricultural Crisis:
In the mid-1960s, India experienced severe monsoon failures, resulting in widespread droughts and acute food grain shortages across multiple states. This led to a state of near-famine in regions like Bihar. India was heavily reliant on importing wheat from the United States under the PL-480 program, which came with political conditionalities that compromised foreign policy autonomy. Resolving this deep structural food vulnerability became an urgent, existential priority for Shastri's government.

Step 3: Challenge 2 --- External Security Threat through the Indo-Pak War of 1965:
In August-September 1965, Pakistan launched covert and overt military incursions (Operation Gibraltar) into Jammu and Kashmir, hoping to spark a localized rebellion. This escalated into a full-scale conventional military conflict along the western front. Under Shastri's decisive leadership, India responded by opening a counter-offensive towards Lahore. This massive military conflict drained national resources and ended only after a UN-brokered ceasefire and the subsequent signing of the Tashkent Declaration in January 1966.