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Harm full effects of Tobacco,Alchohol,Heroin,Marijuana,Cocaine

2011-07-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

Harmful Effects of Smoking

· Every year hundreds of thousands of people around the world die fromdiseases caused by smoking cigarettes -Smoking KILLS.

· One in two lifetime smokers will die from their habit. Half of these deaths will occur in middle age.

· Tobacco smoke also contributes to a number of cancers.

· The mixture of nicotine and carbon monoxide in each cigarette you smoke temporarily increases your heart rate and blood pressure, straining your heart and blood vessels.

· This can cause heart attacks and stroke. It slows your blood flow, cutting off oxygen to your feet and hands. Some smokers end up having their limbs
amputated.

· Tar coats your lungs like soot in a chimney and causes cancer. A 20-a-day smoker breathes in up to a full cup (210 g) of tar in a year.

· Changing to low-tar cigarettes does not help because smokers usually take deeper puffs and hold the smoke in for longer, dragging the tar deeper into their lungs.

· Carbon monoxide robs your muscles, brain and body tissue of oxygen, making your whole body and especially your heart work harder. Over time, your airways swell up and let less air into your lungs.

· Smoking causes disease and is a slow way to die. The strain of smoking effects on the body often causes years of suffering. Emphysema is an illness that slowly rots your lungs. People with emphysema often get bronchitis again and again, and suffer lung and heart failure.

· Lung cancer from smoking is caused by the tar in tobacco smoke. Men who smoke are ten times more likely to die from lung cancer than non-smokers.

· Heart disease and strokes are also more common among smokers than non-smokers.

· Smoking causes fat deposits to narrow and block blood vessels which leads to heart attack.

· Smoking causes around one in five deaths from heart disease.

· In younger people, three out of four deaths from heart disease are due to smoking.

· Cigarette smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of low birth weight, prematurity, spontaneous abortion, and perinatal mortality in humans, which has been referred to as the fetal tobacco syndrome.

As mentioned earlier, this list can only begin to convey the harmful health effects of smoking cigarettes and its long term side effects. Next we consider reasons why smoking is bad for those around you in the effects of second hand smoke.

Different types of cancer

· Primary carcinoma of the lung is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women.

· It accounts for approximately 32% of cancer deaths in men and 25% in women.

· Current or former cigarette smokers make up approximately 90% of patients with lung cancer.

· Men who smoke one pack a day increase their risk 10 times compared with non-smokers.

· Men who smoke two packs a day increase their risk more than 25 times compared with non-smokers.

· The more you smoke and the longer you smoke, the greater your risk.

· Of the 180,000 people diagnosed in the United States alone each year, 86% will die within 5 years of diagnosis.

· Chemicals and compounds in tobacco smoke make it cancerous and the cause of other harmful health effects of smoking.

· Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States. Between 1964 and 2004, cigarette smoking caused an estimated 12 million deaths, including 4.1 million deaths from cancer, 5.5 million deaths from cardiovascular diseases, 1.1 million deaths from respiratory diseases, and 94,000 infant deaths related to mothers smoking during pregnancy.¹ According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking results in more than 443,000 premature deaths in the United States each year—about 1 in every 5 U.S. deaths²—and an additional 8.6 million people suffer with a serious illness caused by smoking.³ Thus, for every one person who dies from smoking, 20 more suffer from at least one serious tobacco-related illness.³

· The harmful effects of smoking extend far beyond the smoker. Exposure to secondhand smoke can cause serious diseases and death. Each year, an estimated 126 million Americans are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke and almost 50 thousand nonsmokers die from diseases caused by secondhand smoke exposure.⁴

· How Does Tobacco Affect the Brain?

· Cigarettes and other forms of tobacco—including cigars, pipe tobacco, snuff, and chewing tobacco—contain the addictive drug nicotine. Nicotine is readily absorbed into the bloodstream when a tobacco product is chewed, inhaled, or smoked. A typical smoker will take 10 puffs on a cigarette over a period of 5 minutes that the cigarette is lit. Thus, a person who smokes about 1 1/2 packs (30 cigarettes) daily gets 300 “hits” of nicotine each day.

· Upon entering the bloodstream, nicotine immediately stimulates the adrenal glands to release the hormone epinephrine (adrenaline). Epinephrine stimulates the central nervous system and increases blood pressure, respiration, and heart rate. Glucose is released into the blood while nicotine suppresses insulin output from the pancreas, which means that smokers have chronically elevated blood sugar levels.

· Like cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, nicotine increases levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which affects the brain pathways that control reward and pleasure. For many tobacco users, long-term brain changes induced by continued nicotine exposure result in addiction—a condition of compulsive drug seeking and use, even in the face of negative consequences. Studies suggest that additional compounds in tobacco smoke, such as acetaldehyde, may enhance nicotine’s effects on the brain.⁵ A number of studies indicate that adolescents are especially vulnerable to these effects and may be more likely than adults to develop an addiction to tobacco.

· When an addicted user tries to quit, he or she experiences withdrawal symptoms including irritability, attention difficulties, sleep disturbances, increased appetite, and powerful cravings for tobacco. Treatments can help smokers manage these symptoms and improve the likelihood of successfully quitting.

· What Other Adverse Effects Does Tobacco Have on Health?

· Cigarette smoking accounts for about one-third of all cancers, including 90 percent of lung cancer cases. Smokeless tobacco (such as chewing tobacco and snuff) also increases the risk of cancer, especially oral cancers. In addition to cancer, smoking causes lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and increases the risk of heart disease, including stroke, heart attack, vascular disease, and aneurysm. Smoking has also been linked to leukemia, cataracts, and pneumonia.^1,2 On average, adults who smoke die 14 years earlier than nonsmokers.²

· Although nicotine is addictive and can be toxic if ingested in high doses, it does not cause cancer—other chemicals are responsible for most of the severe health consequences of tobacco use. Tobacco smoke is a complex mixture of chemicals such as carbon monoxide, tar, formaldehyde, cyanide, and ammonia—many of which are known carcinogens. Carbon monoxide increases the chance of cardiovascular diseases. Tar exposes the user to an increased risk of lung cancer, emphysema, and bronchial disorders.

· Pregnant women who smoke cigarettes run an increased risk of miscarriage, stillborn or premature infants, or infants with low birthweight.² Maternal smoking may also be associated with learning and behavioral problems in children. Smoking more than one pack of cigarettes per day during pregnancy nearly doubles the risk that the affected child will become addicted to tobacco if that child starts smoking.⁶

· While we often think of medical consequences that result from direct use of tobacco products, passive or secondary smoke also increases the risk for many diseases. Secondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke, consists of exhaled smoke and smoke given off by the burning end of tobacco products. Nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30 percent⁷ and lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent.² In addition, secondhand smoke causes respiratory problems, such as coughing, overproduction of phlegm, and reduced lung function and respiratory infections, including pneumonia and bronchitis, in both adults and children. In fact, each year about 150,000 – 300,000 children younger than 18 months old experience respiratory tract infections caused by secondhand smoke.⁴ Children exposed to secondhand smoking are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, ear problems, and severe asthma. Furthermore, children who grow up with parents who smoke are more likely to become smokers, thus placing themselves (and their future families) at risk for the same health problems as their parents when they become adults.

· Although quitting can be difficult, the health benefits of smoking cessation are immediate and substantial—including reduced risk for cancers, heart disease, and stroke. A 35-year-old man who quits smoking will, on average, increase his life expectancy by 5 years.⁸

· Are There Effective Treatments for Tobacco Addiction?

· Tobacco addiction is a chronic disease that often requires multiple attempts to quit. Although some smokers are able to quit without help, many others need assistance. Generally, rates of relapse for smoking cessation are highest in the first few weeks and months and diminish considerably after about 3 months. Both behavioral interventions (counseling) and medication can help smokers quit; but the combination of medication with counseling is more effective than either alone.

· Behavioral Treatments
Behavioral treatments employ a variety of methods to assist smokers in quitting, ranging from self-help materials to individual counseling. These interventions teach individuals to recognize high-risk situations and develop coping strategies to deal with them. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) national toll-free quitline, 800-QUIT-NOW, is an access point for any smoker seeking information and assistance in quitting.

· Nicotine Replacement Treatments
Nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs), such as nicotine gum and the nicotine patch, were the first pharmacological treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in smoking cessation therapy. NRTs deliver a controlled dose of nicotine to a smoker in order to relieve withdrawal symptoms during the smoking cessation process. They are most successful when used in combination with behavioral treatments. Current FDA-approved NRT products include nicotine chewing gum, the nicotine transdermal patch, nasal sprays, inhalers, and lozenges.

· Other Medications
Bupropion and varenicline are two FDA-approved non-nicotine medications that effectively increase rates of long-term abstinence from smoking. Bupropion, a medication that goes by the trade name Zyban, was approved by the FDA in 1997 for use in smoking cessation. Varenicline tartrate (trade name: Chantix) targets nicotine receptors in the brain, easing withdrawal symptoms and blocking the effects of nicotine if people resume smoking.

· Current Treatment Research
Scientists are currently pursuing many other avenues of research to develop new smoking cessation therapies. One promising intervention is a vaccine called NicVax that works by targeting nicotine in the bloodstream, blocking its access to the brain and thereby preventing its reinforcing effects. Preliminary trials of this vaccine have yielded promising results, with vaccinated smokers achieving higher quit rates and longer term abstinence compared to smokers given placebo. NicVax is now being evaluated in Phase III clinical trials; successful completion will bring NicVax closer to final approval by the FDA.

· How Widespread Is Tobacco Use?

· Monitoring the Future Survey*
Current smoking rates among 8th- and 12th-grade students reached an all-time low in 2009. According to the Monitoring the Future survey, 6.5 percent of 8th-graders and 20.1 percent of 12th-graders reported they had used cigarettes in the past month. Current smoking also decreased among 10th-graders, to about 13 percent in 2009. Although unacceptably high numbers of youth continue to smoke, these numbers represent a significant decrease from peak smoking rates (21 percent in 8th-graders, 30 percent in 10th-graders and 36 percent in 12th-graders) that were reached in the late 1990s.

· The decrease in smoking rates among young Americans corresponds to several years in which increased proportions of teens said they believed there was a “great” health risk associated with cigarette smoking and expressed disapproval of smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per day. Students’ personal disapproval of smoking has risen for some years; for example, the percentage of 12th-graders reporting disapproval of smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per day increased from 68.8 percent in 1998 to 81.8 percent in 2009. During the same period, the percentage of 8th-graders who said it was “very easy” or “fairly easy” to obtain cigarettes declined from 73.6 percent in 1998 to 55.3 percent in 2009.

· Current use of smokeless tobacco remained steady among 8th-graders and 12th-graders in 2009 (3.7 percent and 8.4 percent, respectively); however, current smokeless tobacco use among 10th-grade students increased significantly from 5.0 percent in 2008 to 6.5 percent in 2009.

· National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)**
In 2008, 28.4 percent of the U.S. population age 12 and older (approximately 70.9 million people) used a tobacco product at least once in the month prior to being interviewed. This figure includes 2.8 million young people aged 12 to 17 (11.4 percent of this age group). In addition, almost 60 million Americans (23.9 percent of the population) were current cigarette smokers; 13.1 million smoked cigars; almost 8.7 million used smokeless tobacco; and nearly 1.9 million smoked tobacco in pipes.

Achohol

Brief Description:	Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is an intoxicating ingredient found in beer, wine, and liquor. Alcohol is produced by the fermentation of yeast, sugars, and starches. It is a central nervous system depressant that is rapidly absorbed from the stomach and small intestine into the bloodstream. A standard drink equals 0.6 ounces of pure ethanol, or 12 ounces of beer; 8 ounces of malt liquor; 5 ounces of wine; or 1.5 ounces (a "shot") of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor (e.g., gin, rum, vodka, or whiskey). NIDA does not conduct research on alcohol; for more information, please visit theNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Effects:	Alcohol affects every organ in the drinker's body and can damage a developing fetus. Intoxication can impair brain function and motor skills; heavy use can increase risk of certain cancers, stroke, and liver disease. Alcoholism or alcohol dependence is a diagnosable disease characterized by a strong craving for alcohol, and/or continued use despite harm or personal injury. Alcohol abuse, which can lead to alcoholism, is a pattern of drinking that results in harm to one's health, interpersonal relationships, or ability to work.
Statistics and Trends:	In 2009, 51.9% of Americans age 12 and older had used alcohol at least once in the 30 days prior to being surveyed; 23.7% had binged (5+ drinks within 2 hours); and 6.8% drank heavily (5+ drinks on 5+ occasions). In the 12-17 age range, 14.7% had consumed at least one drink in the 30 days prior to being surveyed; 8.8% had binged; and 2.1% drank heavily.Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Web Site). The NIDA-funded 2010 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 13.8% of 8th graders, 28.9% of 10th graders, and 41.2% of 12th graders had consumed at least one drink in the 30 days prior to being surveyed, and 5.0% of 8th graders, 14.7% of 10th graders, and 26.8% of 12th graders had been drunk. Source:Monitoring the Future (University of Michigan Web Site)

Cocaine

Brief Description:	Cocaine is a powerfully addictive central nervous system stimulant that is snorted, injected, or smoked. Crack is cocaine hydrochloride powder that has been processed to form a rock crystal that is then usually smoked.
Street Names:	Coke, snow, flake, blow More at Street Terms (Office of National Drug Control Policy Web Site)
Effects:	Cocaine usually makes the user feel euphoric and energetic, but also increases body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate. Users risk heart attacks, respiratory failure, strokes, seizures, abdominal pain, and nausea. In rare cases, sudden death can occur on the first use of cocaine or unexpectedly afterwards.
Statistics and Trends:	In 2009, 4.8 million Americans age 12 and older had abused cocaine in any form and 1.0 million had abused crack at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source:National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Web Site). The NIDA-funded 2010 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 1.6% of 8th graders, 2.2% of 10th graders, and 2.9% of 12th graders had abused cocaine in any form and 1.0% of 8th graders, 1.0% of 10th graders, and 1.4% of 12th graders had abused crack at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future (University of Michigan Web Site) .

Marijuana

Brief Description:	Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the U.S. It is made up of dried parts of the Cannabis sativa hemp plant.
Street Names:	Pot, ganga, weed, grass, 420 More at Street Terms (Office of National Drug Control Policy Web Site)
Effects:	Short-term effects of marijuana use include euphoria, distorted perceptions, memory impairment, and difficulty thinking and solving problems.
Statistics and Trends:	In 2009, 28.5 million Americans age 12 and older had abused marijuana at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Web Site). The NIDA-funded 2010 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 13.7% of 8th graders, 27.5% of 10th graders, and 34.8% of 12th graders had abused marijuana at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future(University of Michigan Web Site)

Heroin

Brief Description:	Heroin is an addictive drug that is processed from morphine and usually appears as a white or brown powder or as a black, sticky substance. It is injected, snorted, or smoked.
Street Names:	Smack, H, ska, junk More at Street Terms (Office of National Drug Control Policy Web Site)
Effects:	Short-term effects of heroin include a surge of euphoria and clouded thinking followed by alternately wakeful and drowsy states. Heroin depresses breathing, thus, overdose can be fatal. Users who inject the drug risk infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.
Statistics and Trends:	In 2009, 605,000 Americans age 12 and older had abused heroin at least once in the year prior to being surveyed.Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Web Site). The NIDA-funded 2010 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 0.8% of 8th graders, 0.8% of 10th graders, and 0.9% of 12th graders had abused heroin at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future (University of Michigan Web Site

Lal bahadur shastri

2011-07-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

On October 2nd, 1904 at Mughalsarai, seven miles from Kashi a little baby boy was born to Sharada Prasad and Ramdulari Devi. They named him Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Lal Bahadur's parents were agriculturists. Initially his father was a poor teacher who did not earn much by way of income. Then he became a clerk in the Revenue Office at Allahabad. Here, too, he earned very little. But, even though he was poor, he never accepted bribes. He always lived a life of honesty and integrity.

When Lal Bahadur was only three months his Mother went to bathe in the Ganga carrying him along. In the milling crowd at the bathing ghat she lost the child. He had slipped from his mother's arms into a cowherd's basket. The cowherd had no children, and he took baby Lal Bahadur to be a gift from God and celebrated the event with great joy.

But his mother Ramdulari Devi was lost in grief. A complaint was lodged with the police and they traced the child. The foster parents wept bitterly when they had to give back the child.

Later in life, there was always a hilarious account of this incident where he was teased "Lal Bahadur, who was destined to govern the country, narrowly missed the 'good fortune' of becoming a cowherd".

But things were not happy for long. Tragedy struck the family when baby Lal was just a year old. His father Sharada Prasad died. Ramdulari Devi was so divested that she felt as though the skies had come down on her.

But luckily her father, Hazari Lal agreed to give her shelter. At that time she had two more little girls apart from Lal Bahadur.

Lal Bahadur's grandfather Hazari Lal's family was very large. His brothers, their wives and children, besides his own children and grand children, lived under the same roof. It was a small world in itself and Hazari lal was the fountain of love and affection to all of them. But he was especially fond of little Lal Bahadur. He always affectionately called him 'Nanhe' which meant 'tiny'.

Once when he was six years old, he went to an orchard with his friends. He was standing below while his friends were climbing the trees. Lal Bahadur plucked a flower from a bush in the garden.

The gardener came in the meantime and saw Lal Bahadur with the flower. The boys on the trees climbed down and quickly ran away. But Lal Bahadur was stunned and stood still. The gardener caught Lal Bahadur and beat him severely.

Lal Bahadur wept and said, "I am an orphan. Please do not beat me."

The gardener smiled with pity and said, "Because you are an orphan, you must learn better behavior, my boy.”

The words of the gardener had a great effect on him. He swore to himself, "I shall behave better in future. Because I am an orphan I must learn good behavior."

Lal Bahadur stayed at his grandfather's house till he was ten. By that time he had passed the sixth standard examination. There was no high school in that place and since little Lal loved to study, his grandfather sent him to Kashi for further education.

Courage and self-respect were two virtues, which took deep root in him from his childhood. While in Kashi, he went with his friends to see a fair on the other bank of the Ganga. On the way back he had no money for the boat fare. His self-respect did not allow him to ask his friends for money. He slipped from their company without their knowledge. His friends forgot him in their talk and boarded the boat. When the boat had moved away, LaL Bahadur jumped into river and as his friends watched breathlessly, he swam to the other bank safely.

Even as a boy Lal, loved to read books. He read whatever books he came across, whether he understood them or not. He was fond of Guru Nanak's verses.

He used to repeat the following lines often:

"0 Nanak! Be tiny like grass; for other plants will whither away, but grass will remain ever green."

Though he was short for his age he was not timid. All boys were friendly with him. Like the grass he always looked fresh and smiling. Not only during his school days but also in his later life he never did hate anyone.

He also loved acting in school plays. He played the role of Kripacharya in the play 'Mahabharatha' and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

When Lal Bahadur was a student of Harischandra High School at Varanasi, the freedom struggle was on full swing. Everywhere there was the cry of 'Freedom'!

"Swaraj is our birth right" - Bal Gangadhar Tilak had declared. This had become the nation's battle cry. Little Lal Bahadur revered Tilak.

But the greatest influence on Lal Bahadur was that of Mahatma Gandhi. Lal Bahadur was electrified when he heard a speech of Gandhi at Varanasi. Then and there he decided to dedicate his life to the service of the country.

Mahatma Gandhi launched the non-cooperation movement against the British Government and declared that the country would not cooperate with the Government in its unjust rule. Lal Bahadur was only seventeen years old when Mahatma Gandhi gave a call to the youth to come out of Government schools and colleges, offices and courts and to sacrifice everything for the sake of freedom. Lal Bahadur was deeply moved and he left school to join the freedom movement.

His mother and other relatives pleaded, "Nanhe, please don't give up your studies."

But Lal Bahadur was firm in his decision. He did not go back to his school. He became a student of Kashi Vidya Peeth. During his four years' stay there, he made excellent progress. When he turned 22, he got the degree of 'Shastri' and left the Kashi Vidya Peeth.

When Lal Bahadur was 23 years old he married Lalitha Devi, who hailed from Mirzalyur. The wedding was celebrated in the simplest of ways. All that the bridegroom took as a gift from his father-in-law was a charaka and a few yards of Khadi!

Three years later, Mahatma Gandhi started the'' Salt Satyagraha'. Lal Bahadur took a leading role in it i grid called on people not to pay land revenue and taxes the government. On this account he was sent to prison for two and a half years.

From that time onwards, prison became his second home. He was sent to prison seven times and was forced to spend nine long years in various prisons different occasions.

He considered going to prison as a blessing ifdisguise. He had time to read a number of good book% He became familiar with the works of western philosophers, revolutionaries and social reformers. He translated the autobiography of Madam Curie (a French scientist who discovered radium) into Hindi.

Lal Bahadur's virtues shone even in the prison. He was an ideal prisoner. He was a model to others in discipline and restraint. Many political prisoners used to quarrel among themselves and they used to cringe for small favors before the officials of the prison. But Lal Bahadur used to give up his comforts for others.

Once when he was in prison, one of his daughters fell seriously ill. The officers agreed to let him visit his daughter saying, “We will let you out for a short time but on the condition that you should give in writing that you will not take part in the freedom movement during this period."

Lal Bahadur did not wish to participate in the freedom movement during his temporary release from prison; but he replied, "I will not give it in writing. But I shall not take part and I will return".

The officers knew that he was truthful and therefore they did not insist on a written agreement. Lal Bahadur was released for fifteen days.

But sadly his daughter died before he reached home. After performing the final rites he returned to prison even before the expiry of the period.

He passed a year in the prison when news came to him that his son was laid up with influenza. Lal Bahadur was permitted unconditionally to go home for a week. But the fever did not come down in a week's time. Lal Bahadur got ready to go back to prison. The boy pleaded dumbly with his tearful eyes.

In a weak voice he urged, "Father, please stay..." For a moment Lal Bahadur's mind was shaken. Tears rolled down from his eyes. But the next moment his decision was made. He bade good-bye to all and left his home for prison. Luckily his son survived.

Thus, he brushed aside all thoughts of personal happiness and plunged into the freedom struggle. His daughter's death, his son's illness, and poverty - none of these made him swerve from his selected path.

Finally India got her freedom in 1947 when Lal Bahadur was 43. When Govind Vallabh Pant became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Lal Bahadur was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Pant.

Pant praised him and said, "I have never seen a more likable, hard-working, devoted, trustworthy and a non-controversial man."

Later, in 1947, Lal Bahadur became the Minister °f Police and Transport in Pant's Ministry. He took many steps to bring discipline into the administration. As a transport minister he subjected government buses to discipline. He was the first to appoint women conductors.

Also, Lal Bahadur never allowed the police to resort to lathi charge and firing. He ordered them to use jets of water instead of lathis to disperse unruly crowds. Though there were many strikes in Uttar Pradesh when he was in office, there was not a single occasion when people shouted slogans against him.

Lal Bahadur was also a lover of cricket. Once, when he was watching a match at Kanpur, trouble broke out between the spectators and the Police. The young men came to blows. Since Lal Bahadur was on the spot, the situation did not go out of control.

The young men demanded," The red turbans (the police) should not be found on the cricket ground tomorrow."

Lal Bahadur agreed to their wishes, but the police were there the next day. The young men became angry with Shastri and protested.

Lal Bahadur laughed and said, "I fulfilled my promise to you faithfully. You did not want red turbans to be here. You see the police are now wearing khaki turbans." The spectators laughed and dropped the matter.

After India became a Republic, he was appointed as the Railways and Transport Minister in the Central Cabinet.

The railways in the country had be§n badly disrupted after the division of the country. Lal Bahadur strove hard to set right and regulate the railways. There were four classes- first, second, intermediate and third in the railways then. First class compartments offered extreme luxury and were considered heavenly. But the discomfort of passengers in the third class compartments was beyond description. They did not have even minimum comforts.

Lal Bahadur made efforts to reduce the vast disparity between the first and the last classes. The first class that offered royal comfort was abolished. The old second came to be known as the first class and the intermediate class as the second class. His idea was to have only two classes of compartments in course of time - the first and the second. It was he who provided more facilities to travellers in third class compartments that exists till date.

Lal Bahadur identified himself with the Railways so much that he felt he was responsible if anything went wrong in his department. When he was the Railway Minister, 144 passengers died in an accident that took place near Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu. Just three months before this, an accident had occurred at Mehboob Nagar in which 112 people died.

Lal Bahadur though was in no way responsible for these accidents, was very much pained. He felt he could not escape the moral responsibility for them. When the Mehboob Nagar accident took place, he submitted his resignation letter to Pandit Nehru, who was the prime minister then. But Nehru did not accept it.

But when the Ariyalur accident took place Shastri said, '"I must do penance for this. Let me go." So strong was his sense of responsibility that he did not care if he was losing a prestigious post.

He went on to become the Home Minister in 1961.

People used to call him the "homeless" Home Minister because he did not have a house of his own. He had rented a small house in Allahabad where he used to stay whenever he went to the city. But the owner of the house soon let it out to another family. When Shastri resigned as minister he vacated the government quarters and for some time he did not have a place to live in!

Then out of the blue, Nehru, the country's prime minister died on May 27, 1964. And the very next day the only question that echoed from Kashmir to Kanyakumari was After Nehru, who?'

Finally all the leaders came to the decision that Lal Bahadur Shastri was the only person responsible enough to pilot the nation. Thus he was elected the Prime Minister of India, when he was 60 years of age.

The first problem that he had to face after he became the Prime Minister was one caused by Pakistan. Pakistan started to create trouble along the Indian border in order to capture Kashmir for itself.

Though he was physically weak, Shastri faced the 90 Great Lives - Leaders of People problems confronting the nation boldly and wisely. He first tried to earn the goodwill and support of other nations for India. He visited Russia, Egypt, Canada and Britain and explalned to the leaders of those nations, India's stand against Pakistan. He even tried to reason with President Ayub Khan of Pakistan to settle down in peace. His efforts did pay off when both countries agreed to stop fighting.

When Lal Bahadur was praised for his worthy efforts he just replied, "I am just an ordinary man and not a very bright man."

But Pakistan did not remain quiet for long. The Pakistani soldiers entered Kashmir in disguise and were engaged in forcibly occupying areas, which belonged to India. An enraged Lal Bahadur gave full freedom to the Commander of the Army to go forth in war, "Go forward and strike. Force will be met with force. It does not matter if we are destroyed. We will fight to the last to maintain the high honour of the Indian nation and its flag."

The army and the air force functioned like the two arms of a single body under Shastri's guidance and fought the war heroically. The invaders were beaten. The U.N called on Lal Bahadur and Ayub Khan to sign a treaty of friendship.

During the period of the Pakistan war and the following days, Shastri's body was thoroughly battered by the heavy strain both mentally and physically. He signed the joint Declaration on 10^thJanuary 1966.

Sadly, on the very same night he suffered a severe heart attack and died instantly.

After his death the President of India conferred on him, on behalf of the nation, the award of 'Bharat Ratna'.

And so was gone the tiny, tidy figure. A soul that had lived in perfect purity of thought, word and deed. He never sought power. He never worked for it. And yet power and authority came in search of him. Fame set a crown on his head. The short man grew into a colossus and a leader who filled the Four Corners of the world with the fame of India.

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