Remembering Shastriji
By Dr Arvind Kumar
2nd October also marks the birth anniversary of late Lal Bahadur Shastri, the former Prime Minister of India, along with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Shastriji died in harness when India was about to score victory over Pakistan dusing the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war. Shastriji gave a simple solution to tide over the food crisis then facing the country owing to famine and drought. He advised the countrymen to skip one-time meals once a week and tone down the number of guests in marriage and other celebrations as a practical step to save food and other edibles. This was a simple and practical solution which could be adopted and practised by each and every one without any hitch and country did follow it for some time and then forgot.
We can emulate this advice of Shastriji and put into practice in our daily life. This will help save food and keep us physically fit and agile. The saved food can be utilized for the benefit of the needy and under-nourished segments of the society. Let’s pledge on this solemn occasion to skip half-day meals once a week. This will be the fittest tribute to Shastriji.