While the reality of Netaji’s death is still in trepidation, family of former Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri, has demanded declassification of files pertaining to the contentious death of former PM.
Lal Bahadur Shastri’s son Anil Shastri has claimed that the death of his father may not have been due to natural causes.
Lal Bahadur Shastri and former president of Pakistan, Ayub Khan had gone to Tashkent, then in Soviet Union to sign a peace-pact post Indo-Pak war of 1965. Mr. Shastri died having suffered cardiac arrest just a few hours after signing the deal on January 11, 1966.
According to Anil Shastri, body of Lal Bahadur Shastri turned blue and there were white marks on his forehead, indicating possibility of foul play. Moreover, Anil Shastri cited it as “height of negligence” as the absence of bell, telephone and caretaker in the room seems unbelievable.
Let’s dig deeper into the facts and find out the certainty of truth.
According to Lal Bahadur Shastri’s media advisor Kuldeep Nayar, on the night after the peace-pact, Shastri had food brought from Ambassador T.N. Kaul’s house. Later that night, the assistants saw Shastri at their door looking for doctor. The assistants helped him to bed. Few moments later Lal Bahadur Shastri touched his chest, became unconscious and passed away.
Embalmment was quoted the reason behind the body turning blue, although the family of Lal Bahadur Shastri suspects it as a case of poisoning. It is quite aversive that no post-mortem was done on Shastri. Some close associates feel that suspicion revolves around an Indian hand or a foreign power. Moreover, as per his personal physician Dr. R.N. Chugh, good health of Shastri before his death and no history of heart disease do not comply with the cardiac arrest. The doubts became stronger as Shastri’s personal diary in which he used to write daily activities were never returned to the family. Shastri’s death has led to belief that he was poisoned. After the demand of Lalita Shastri, wife of Lal Bahadur Shastri, a committee was established to inquire about his death. An investigation was conducted by Raj Narain Inquiry; however it did not come to any conclusion.
The death of Dr. R.N. Chugh, personal doctor of Lal Bahadur Shastri, who was travelling to Delhi by road to testify before the committee was hit by a truck and died, seems more than just a coincidence as he might have known few facts concerning death of Shastri. As per the news source, the fact that a Russian butler attending on Shastri at the time of his death was arrested for suspected poisoning but released later increases the uncertainty of natural death.
A journalist Gregoy Douglas has described his conversation with USA’s CIA agent Robert Crowley in a book entitled “Conversation with Crow”. According to the book, Crowley claimed that USA was suspiciously prudent regarding the PM Lal Bahadur Shastri’s stand over nuclear tests and did not want to let it happen.
The question is: Was USA, an ally of 1965 war defeated Pakistan involved in this?
Anuj Dhar, author of the book “CIA’s Eye on South Asia” has filed a plea under RTI in 2009, seeking information regarding Shastri’s death. But the PMO refused to declassify the document, reportedly citing that this could lead to harming of relation with foreign state, cause disruption in the country and cause breach of parliamentary privileges.
Although, the exact cause of death of the prominent PM Lal Bahadur Shastri is not clear yet, one can expect classified files on the matter to be made public. There is no harm to have a fresh inquiry into his death, interrogate the remaining witnesses and clear the conjecture.
