Lal Bahadur Shastri Tashkent Lal Bahadur Shastri

Key Highlights Request of postmortem was flatly denied by the Centre

Shastri's face and body had turned blue and there were cut marks in the stomach area and on the back of his neck

All the classified records pertaining to Shastri’s death remains non-accessible till now

New Delhi: Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana in its editorial questioned the mysterious death of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in Tashkent and also raised questions over the declaration which was signed between the PM and then Pakistani President Mohammad Ayub Khan.

Shastri, who coined the slogan of "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan" (Hail the soldier, Hail the farmer), led the country during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965.

Cold War & India-Pakistan

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The Cold War rivalry between the US and the Soviet Union also shaped and affected South Asian countries.

While Pakistan joined SEATO and CENTO to receive US-made weapons and arms, India, on the other hand, decided to support the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and remain neutral.

This move irked the US as it had the potential of altering the balance of power in the region.

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The Soviets saw India as a tool to counter the West and its “imperialist designs”. The 1960 U-2 spy plane incident was a serious cause of concern for the Soviet as the Americans were using Pakistan’s territory against them. Therefore, India was crucial to the Soviets to contain the West.

Indo-Pakistan War of 1965

Operation Gibraltar was the spark which started the 1965 war between the two neighbours. The plan was to incite the Kashmiris and fuel a rebellion against India.

In August 1965, disguised as locals, Pakistan Army's Azad Kashmir Regular Force troops entered J&K from Pakistan but the plan could not be materialised due to poor coordination and lack of support from the locals.

This insurgency sparked the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 – the first major engagement between the two countries since the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.

India’s response was swift with a full-scale attack on Pakistan. The war lasted for 17 days and ended after the UN declared ceasefire followed by a diplomatic intervention by the Soviet Union and the US and Tashkent Declaration.

Shastri’s death

After signing the Tashkent accord on January 10, Shastri reached his villa. After having a light meal he went to bed and woke up in the mid-night coughing severely.

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By the time his personal doctor arrived, Shastri was dying and according to Dr RN Chugh, the symptoms were of a heart attack.

Shastri’s body arrived in India on January 11 and as per the reports, an attempt was made to prevent his family members from taking a look at the body.

According to his wife, Shastri’s face and body had turned blue as if he was poisoned and there were cut marks in the stomach area and on the back of his neck.

When his followers and family members approached the government with a request of postmortem it was flatly denied, with the Centre saying it would adversely affect international relations.

All the classified records pertaining to Shastri’s death remains non-accessible till now.