Prakash Vir Shastri
Prakash Vir Shastri | |
|---|---|
| File:Prakash vir shastri.jpg | |
| Member of Parliament | |
| In office 1958–1977 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1923 Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh |
| Died | November 23, 1977 Uttar Pradesh |
| Political party | Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha |
| Residence | Uttar Pradesh |
Prakash Vir Shastri (1923 - November 23, 1977) was a noted Member of the Parliament of India (Sansad).
Born in 1923 as Om Prakash Tyagi (Devanāgarī: अोउम प्रकाश त्यागी), he eventually earned his Shastri degree from Banaras Hindu University.
Career
He was politically active as a young man, obtaining an M.A. degree from Agra University, and eventually rising to become Vice-Chancellor of Gurukul Vrindavan. Shri Shastri was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1958 and from that time till his passing served in the Parliament as an Independent member of both the Lok Sabha [1] and Rajya Sabha.[2] He was elected as a Jana Sang nominee in 1974.
Oratory Style
Known for his eloquence and forceful oratory style as well as his mastery of Sanskrit, Shri Shastri opposed to the official designation of English as the national language of India. He instead preferred Hindi, the country's classical native tongue. [3] He was also known for his abilities as a poet, and incorporated his creative efforts into a number of his more well-known speeches.
Religious Activism
Shri Shastri was also internationally recognized as a devotee of the Arya Samaj movement, a branch of Hinduism dedicated to the Vedas.[4] While he was tolerant of the diversity of approaches to the practice of Hinduism, he shied away from idolatory in his personal affairs and promoted the work of Swami Dayananda in his writing and speeches.
Shastri proposed the Religious Protection Bill in March of 1960 in the Lok Sabha, which called for the protection of religious minorities in the face of mass conversions by force occurring across the country at the time.[5]
Train Accident
Shri Shastri was killed in a train accident on November 23, 1977. According to testimonial by his family and friends, Shri Shastri gave his seat to the gentleman sleeping in the bunk below him--a sign of respect in Hindu culture, as the lower bunk is closer to the ground. The trajectory of the train's impact allowed the man in the bunk above him to survive while Shri Shastri himself regrettably lost his life. He left behind a wife and two children.[6]
Prakash Vir Shastri Avenue
In November 2002, North Avenue in New Delhi, leading from Ram Manohar Lahia Hospital to Rashtrapati Bhawan, was renamed Shri Prakash Vir Shastri Avenue. The avenue contains Gate 35, the main entrance to Rashtrapati Bhavan and spans a major portion of the downtown district in New Delhi.[7][8]
Speech Compilations
In early 2003, a collection of his parliamentary speeches was compiled for publication by former Deputy Prime Minister Shri Lal Krishna Advani.[9]
Since the publication, interest in the orator has experienced a moderate resurgence, although predominantly among Hindi speaking audiences as Shri Shastri was generally less favorable towards English oratory. Other collections of Shri Shastri's speeches have been compiled, although none to the acclaim of the original collection sponsored by Shri Advani.
See Also
- Prakash Vir Shastri Avenue
- Arya Samaj
- Tyagi Surname
- Shastri Degree
- Indian Independence Movement
- Uttar Pradesh
- New Delhi
- Indian Parliament
- Lokh Sabha
- Rajya Sabha
References
- ^ "Government Member Roster - Fourth Lok Sabha Member Roster".
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Election Commission of New Delhi (1962). "Key Highlights on General Elections, 1962 to the Third Lokh Sabha" (PDF).
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Alok Bhallia. Movement Against English as Official Language.
- ^ Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant, VSM (Feb 22, 2002). "The Triumph at Tankara". Aryasamaj Online Database.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Poonam I. Kaushish (Jun 4, 2006). "Religious Conversions and Religious Freedom". The Assam Tribune.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Parliament Proceedings". Indian Government. Nov 30, 1977.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Tenzing Lamsang (April 9, 2007). "End of road for names, requests pour in". Delhi News Line.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "AMC 21 is Airborne With Grandiose Plans". Tribune News Service. Nov 22, 2002.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Photograph of Shr L. K. Advani releasing a compilation of Prakash vir Shastri's parliamentary speeches". Feb 23, 2003.
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