Ipshita Ghosh, a participant from Tripura, paid tribute to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri during a programme organised at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan on Friday to mark the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Shastri.
The programme, titled ‘Know Your Leader’, was organised by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) under the Lok Sabha Secretariat. Young participants from different states presented their views on national leaders.
Addressing the gathering, Ghosh highlighted Shastri’s principles of integrity, simplicity and self-reliance, calling upon the younger generation to overcome social divisions and contribute to the vision of a developed India.
Referring to her journey from Tripura to the national capital, she said Shastri’s legacy connected people across geographical boundaries.
“Following in the footsteps of the leader who cast aside his Srivastava lineage to unite a nation, I stand before you simply as Ipshita, without titles or baggage, as a proud daughter of Mother India and a voice of Tripura,” she said.
Ghosh stressed the need to overcome divisions based on caste and surnames, adding that building a developed India required collective efforts to break down social barriers.
Recalling Shastri’s life and public service, she referred to his leadership during the food scarcity and the 1965 war, when he gave the country the slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” (Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer).
She also cited his resignation as railway minister, taking moral responsibility for a train accident, as an example of accountability in public life.
Describing Shastri’s personality, Ghosh said that although he was short in stature, his determination and ideals were as tall as the Himalayas and the sky. She said his greatness lay in his simplicity and commitment to the nation.
Ghosh called upon young people to carry forward Shastri’s principles through public service and practical initiatives. Drawing a parallel between Shastri’s emphasis on soldiers and farmers and the work of MY Bharat volunteers, she referred to their role in responding to crises, promoting modern farming techniques and advancing digital literacy.
She urged the participants to uphold humility, ethical conduct and determination in their personal and professional lives, describing patriotism as a commitment to duty and service.
“Let us carry Shastri’s humility in our character, his ethics in our work and his firmness in our purpose,” she said.
Concluding her address, Ghosh called for the spirit of national service to resonate across the country, from the green hills of Tripura to New Delhi, and ended with the slogans “Hail Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Bharat, Bharat Mata Ki Jai”.
The programme was organised on October 2, which marks the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri.