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4. Once, before independence, Lal Bahadur’s daughter contracted
small pox. In those days it was a dreadful killer. The girl’s
condition caused anxiety. Lal Bahadur, who was in prison, got the
message. He sought the permission of the prison authority to see
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his ailing daughter. The Government agreed to release, on parole
for 15 days on the condition that he should not take part in any
political agitation. Shastry said, “Release me on parole without any
conditions, or else, I don’t accept parole”. The Government agreed
to release him. He came to the house. Unfortunately, the girl died
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on the same day. He performed the obsequies. He still had three
or four days of the parole left, but he decided to return to prison.
His family pleaded with him. But Shastry said, ‘The parole is for
the sake of my daughter. She is dead. It’s not right that I should
stay back.’ He went back to prison.

5. When Lal Bahadur Shastry became the Railway Minister, there
were four classes: first, second, intermediate and third. First Class
compartments offered luxurious service. But the discomfort of
passengers in the third class compartments was beyond description.
They did not have even minimum comfort. Lal Bahadur made a
lot of efforts to reduce this vast difference between the first and
the last classes. The first class that offered royal comfort was
abolished. The old second class came to be known as the first and
the intermediate class as the second class. His idea was to have
only two classes of compartments, in course of time – the first and
the second. He also provided more facilities to travellers in the third
class compartments. It was during his time that electric fans were
provided in the third class compartments. He also worked hard to
improve the management of Railways and to eliminate thefts on the
trains.

6. Though Lal Bahadur Shastry was the Prime Minister, he lived a
simple life. As the Railway Minister, he travelled by the second class.
When he served as the Home Minister, he had no home of his own.
After the Arialur Railway accident, he accepted moral responsibility
and resigned from the cabinet. When there was scarcity of food in the
country, he asked the people to eat less. He and his family members
ate only one meal a day. Even as Prime Minister, he didn’t have
a car of his own. Just to please his wife and children, he bought a
small car for his sons, taking a loan from the Government. Even
after becoming the Minister, he adopted austere living. One day,

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