In January 1966, Indian PM Lal Bahadur Shastri arrived at Tashkent for peace talks with Pakistan mediated by the USSR. Tashkent in January was brutally cold. Shastri ji only had his khadi woolen coat with him as a warm garment (1/n) 
Soviet premier Alexei Kosigyn observed this and felt that the Indian PM must be uncomfortable in the extreme cold. He ordered a Russian overcoat to be gifted to Shastri ji. At a formal function, he presented the coat to Shastri ji as a mark of respect (2/n)
Next day, Kosigyn noted Shastri ji was still wearing his khadi coat. A bit perplexed, he asked the prime minister what happened during a break in official events. Kosigyn was worried that Shastri ji hadn't liked the present (3/n)
"It is really warm and very comfortable for me. However, I have lent it to one of my staff members who was not carrying a good woollen coat to wear in this severe winter. I will surely use your gift during my future trips to cold countries" (4/n)
This was Shastri ji's reply to the Soviet premier. At a joint welcome for the Indian and Pakistani heads of state, Kosigyn narrated this incident and added, "We're all communists here but prime minister Shastri is a super communist." (5/n)
In the thread image, Kosigyn & Ayub Khan help carry Shastri ji's mortal remains. (Image from Flickr of Dr Ghulam Nabi Kazi)
Paperclip pays tribute to this iconic Indian leader on his 117th birth anniversary. (6/n)
Paperclip pays tribute to this iconic Indian leader on his 117th birth anniversary. (6/n)
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