âShastri was the antithesis of Nehruâsmall in stature, soft in speech, modest in bearing. Yet he proved to have steel in his spine.â â Ramachandra Guha
Nehruâs death in May 1964 opened a succession struggle. Who would lead India after the towering figure who had shaped the nation for seventeen years? This chapter examines the brief Shastri era and the rise of Indira Gandhi amid bitter party rivalries.
Nehru had refused to name a successor, believing it undemocratic. His death left a vacuum. The Congress was dominated by regional bossesâthe âSyndicateââwho would play kingmaker.
The Syndicate consisted of powerful state leaders: K. Kamaraj (Tamil Nadu), S.K. Patil (Maharashtra), Atulya Ghosh (West Bengal), and others. They controlled the party machinery and determined who would become Prime Minister.
The Syndicate chose Lal Bahadur Shastriâa humble, soft-spoken man from Uttar Pradesh. He was seen as a compromise candidate, acceptable to all factions but beholden to the party bosses.
Shastri faced immediate challenges: food shortages, linguistic agitation, and tensions with Pakistan. His tenure would be brief but consequential.
India faced severe food shortages in 1965-66 due to drought. The country became dependent on American food aid (PL-480). The humiliating âship to mouthâ existenceâdepending on grain ships from Americaâexposed the failures of agricultural policy.
President Johnson used food aid as leverage, insisting India reduce criticism of Vietnam. The dependence was deeply humiliating. It spurred later investment in the Green Revolution to achieve food self-sufficiency.
January 1965 brought violent agitation in Tamil Nadu against Hindi becoming the sole official language. The Constitutionâs 15-year transition period was ending. South Indians feared Hindi imperialism.
Students immolated themselves in protest. Riots engulfed Tamil Nadu. The DMK rode the anti-Hindi wave. Shastri assured South Indians that English would continueâa compromise that defused the crisis but deepened regional resentments.
Pakistan, seeing India weakened after 1962, sent infiltrators into Kashmir in August 1965, hoping to trigger an uprising. When that failed, regular forces attacked. India responded by crossing the international border toward Lahore.
Timeline:
Soviet mediation brought Shastri and Pakistani President Ayub Khan to Tashkent in January 1966. An agreement was reached restoring the status quo ante. Hours after signing, Shastri died of a heart attack.
Shastriâs death at Tashkent shocked India. Conspiracy theories flourishedâwas he murdered? There is no evidence, but the sudden death of a Prime Minister in a foreign country fueled suspicions. India was again without a leader.
The Syndicate chose Nehruâs daughter, Indira Gandhi, as Prime Minister. They thought she would be pliableâa âgoongi gudiyaâ (dumb doll) who would follow their direction. They were spectacularly wrong.
Indira had the Nehru name but little political experience. The Syndicate expected to control her. They underestimated her ambition, her political instincts, and her ruthlessness. Within four years, she would destroy them.