Top 9 Books about India's Second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri

Today on 11th January is India's second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri's death anniversary. He gave India the White Revolution and the most famous slogan, "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan," the very first of the motto of self-reliance.

The present generation should understand what abysms India has been through and what perils it has survived. Today, we see a strong India, a self-reliant, and well-respected country. 

Still, one of the many reasons for our development and why it was possible can be seen through Lal Bahadur Shastri's leadership and hard work which is more often overshadowed and overlooked than not.

Here's the list of top books written about Lal Bahadur Shastri:

1. Lessons in Leadership by Pavan Choudary

The book is just a must-read for admirers of Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indian Politics in general. Many sketches were drawn in there to support the material and the stories. It talks invariably about how Shastri Ji practised his virtues of life.

This book provides you with a collection of short anecdotes from the life and times of the people's PM. These are simple and easy to understand, and are also quite heavy in the way they teach about the values of life as praiseworthy as Shastri Ji himself. You can find the book here.

2. Past Forward by Sunil Shastri

Past Forward is a tribute from a grateful son to his father and is also written as an English translation of the Hindi book called "Mere Babu Ji," by Sunil Shastri. 

This book deals more so with how Lal Bahadur Shastri Ji influenced and inspired his son to become the man we know him for; a man of honesty, integrity, and commitment to his nation. You can find the book here.

3. A Life of Truth in Politics by Srivastava C.P.

This book is written by none other than C.P Srivastav, who happens to share his perspective on Shastri Ji's leadership policies and his attitude towards Indian politics and national development, being a close associate with Prime Minister Shastri himself. 

As a private secretary of Shastri, he has had the experience worth sharing. He shares some snippets of his childhood and the influence of his teachers, and how he was inspired to jump into the struggle to fight for freedom from early on in his life. You can find the book here.

4. Politics and Beyond by Sandeep Shastri

This book talks in-depth about the leadership tenure followed in the years of the person who inspired the phrase 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' and influenced self-sufficiency for food grains. Not only this, but the book also explains Shastri Ji's thought process when he directed the military against the Pakistani forces for surgical strikes. 

One of India's most respected political commentators wrote the book and shares his thoughts on how Shastri Ji was often overlooked. As a result, his work was often overshadowed compared to other leaders and ministers of our country. You can find the book here.

5. The Tashkent Files by Mr Vivek Kumar Pandey Shambhunath

This explains the more personal and family matters of Shastri's life and intends to debunk the rumours of the sudden death of Lal Bahadur Shastri. However, it does not have much to say about the Tashkent event but mentions it only briefly in context with other things. You can find the book here.

6. Your Prime Minister is Dead by Anuj Dhar

Suppose you want to go a lot more into detail about what actually happened in Tashkent, expecting some well-researched reasonable answer for whether the sudden death of our Prime Minister was just a heart attack or something else.

In that case, you should surely pick this one up. "Your Prime Minister is Dead" is a book that attempts to present the controversies surrounding the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri, consolidating various theories in one place. 

The author analytically splits the conspirational hypotheses into three parts - the American hand, the Soviet hand, and the Indian hand, drawing factual conclusions. Any Indian into politics and true-crime thrillers would love to have this on their shelf. You can find the book here.

7. Office of the Indian Prime Minister: Lal Bahadur Shastri Period by Dr. K. Babu Rajendra Prasad

The Office of the Indian Prime Minister bases its theories on Lal Bahadur Shastri, explaining how he was, as a leader and patriotic Indian. The book explains in detail how the lives of his family members and other Indians changed after he died and how he left no money after his passing. 

But most of all, how he became such an influential figure that Indians still and will never forget for his honesty and nationalism. You can find the book here.

8. Lal Bahadur Shastri by Meenu Sinhal

This book best suits children above 10 years and more who want to read and learn more about one of the most outstanding leaders India has seen in its time. 

The book explains his time invariably with his father, Sharada Prasad Shrivastava, and how he was inspired to become the inspiration, we all know he continues to be. You can find the book here.

9. Lal Bahadur Shastri by Vibha Ghai, Anant Pai (Amar Chitra Katha)

The book is a short, crisp illustration of the life of Lal Bahadur Shastri. Despite its small size, the book has tried its best to do justice and accommodate all that there is to know about the statesman who worked for this country. 

As an Amar Chitra Katha story, this book is best suited for kids of all ages to introduce one of India's best leaders. 

It shows and encourages the children of India that their economic or background otherwise does not make them feel like they can't take their future to the heights they deserve, giving the real-life experience from Shastri's own life. You can find the book here.