Thread by @myhistorytales

#OnThisDay 11th January 1966, India's 2nd Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri died in Tashkent unexpectedly.

Was it a heart attack? Was he poisoned? Was foreign forces at play?

#TimeTravelWithMe to revisit the biggest unresolved Indian political mystery ever.

A chilling 🧵

The story starts on May 27th 1964, when Pandit Nehru, India's 1st PM died. A succession battle ensued. A faction wanted Indira Gandhi to be named the PM.

But the Congress President Kamaraj intervened to name Lal Bahadur Shastri as the next PM. A silent kind personality.

2/n

Nehru had been a flashy, popular & charismatic world leader. Shastri, on the other hand, was a simple Gandhian who wore a traditional dhoti and stood 5'2 in height.

There was a shift in the leadership brand. And many people assumed simplicity to be same as weak. 3/n

India was already reeling from the war with China in 1962. Pakistan's leader Ayub Khan took this change as a signal to test waters & play up Kashmir against a 'weaker' Shastri. He sent military infiltrators in 1965 & captured several Indian posts in Kashmir.

Shastri gave it back

India captured the critical Hazipir Pass & the Indian Army reached as far inland as Lahore threating to move further. A response that was not expected of India's leadership.

India had the upper hand when the world powers USA & USSR intervened afraid of further casualties 5/n

India was more closer to USSR and the USA didnt want to be drawn into supporting Pak & cause a bigger war.

USSR & USA jointly pushed for ceasefire and to draw an agreement in Tashkent in modern day Uzbekistan in Jan 1966 6/n

Shastri & Ayub Khan signed the Tashkent declaration & announced moving back to borders. On that night, Shastri had a light dinner of vegetables & phoned his family to ask about the reaction for the declaration

That was the last he spoke. He died mysteriously same night!! 😥 7/n

USSR quickly did a check & termed it as an heart attack. But no post mortem was done! The family suspected foul play & requested post mortem when the body came to Delhi but Indian Govt declined it as well.

Also, they witnessed blue patches in the body to suspect poisoning! 8/n

There was definitely some foul play suspected but the govt refused to divulge any further details.

The country was reeling in shock.. but within 13 days

Homi J Bhabha, head of India's nuclear program died in a air accident suddenly 😱😱😱 9/n

Post the China war defeat, Shastri had been closely working with Homi Bhabha to create India's own nuclear bomb which the other nuclear powers obviously didnt like.

Both of them dying within 2 weeks of each other created a national intrigue. Rumours flew everywhere 10/n

But hardly any meaningful investigation was carried out to understand the 2 deaths more. And if there was any information, it was withheld.

Was there any foreign higher power at play? Why didnt India's own government push for an answer more?

There wasnt clarity.

When the Congress rule ended 11 years later in 1977, the new Janata Party led alliance set up a probe to look into the deaths

Guess what

Dr.Chugh, Shastri's doctor and Ramnath, his servant - key witnesses in the probe both died in road accidents within a few days...😥 12/n

Several future Indian goverments continue to not disclose key documents pertaining to Shastri's death. RTI petitions were turned down stating foreign relations & diplomacy.

Was the CIA involved? Was the KGB involved? The documents might say but is not available to be read. 13/n

A 2013 book talking to Robert Crowley, senior CIA official in 1966 reveals astonishing statements about how CIA was worried about India getting a nuke & cozying with USSR and they decided to 'nail' both Shastri & Bhabha.

How much of it is true? Nobody knows

A sitting Prime Minister of a country dying in mysterious circumstances on foreign land while signing a peace treaty should create enough alarm & probing.

For some reason, Shastriji didnt get that respect.

His mystery still remains!

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