Dr. Avnish Jolly,2nd October, 2008 :A proud nation remembers former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri on his birth anniversary. October 2 is celebrated across India as Gandhi Jayanti.
The United Nations has already adopted October 2 as the International Day of Non-Violence. Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of peace and non-violence, has been a role model for billions of people worldwide. Former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri, who was a leader of farmers or kisans, always got less prominence because he was born on the same day on which Mahatma Gandhi was born. People remember October 2 as Gandhi Jayanti, but they often forget Lal Bahadur Shastri’s birth anniversary and his achievements.
Shastri’s contribution to India’s growth and development was enormous. His slogan "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan" is still remembered by every Indian. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to circulate new coins of Rs 5 to mark the birth centenary of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, largest public sector lender State Bank of India’s bicentennial year and oil major ONGC’s golden jubilee.
These coins would be made of ferritic stainless steel and would be security edged on their periphery. The coin is a legal tender as provided in the Coinage Act, 1906.
The existing five rupee coins in circulation would also continue to be legal tender.
If only we Indians had such good memory and a sense of rememberance, we would not have been dependent on America and Britain till date. What these people had done 51 years back, it seems soon something of the sort will need to be repeated.
We all fondly remeber the two great Indians and derive lot of strength and inspiraton from both of them.
Let us rededicate ourselves to the socially useful pursuits on this great occasion being observed as International Non-violence Day.
Rajesh Gopal.