GUWAHATI, Oct 2: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday paid tribute to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on his birth anniversary, recalling his role in addressing Assam’s language agitation in the early 1960s.
Shastri, who was Union Home Minister before becoming Prime Minister in 1964, visited Assam in June 1961 amid tensions over the state’s official language policy. He held discussions with political leaders and subsequently proposed an eight-point set of measures addressing concerns over language rights, particularly in Cachar and among linguistic minorities.
The proposals included safeguards for linguistic minorities and provisions for the continued use of English in certain official communications. They later came to be associated with the ‘Shastri Formula’, while the Assam Official Language Act was amended in 1961.
Recalling Shastri’s association with Assam in a post on X, Sarma said the former leader had “crafted the historic formula that helped heal Assam’s language agitation”. He also recalled Shastri’s later visit to Guwahati as Prime Minister.
Sarma described Shastri as a leader known for simplicity, sacrifice and quiet strength, saying his life continued to inspire those in public service.
Born on October 2, 1904, Shastri served as India’s second Prime Minister from June 1964 until his death in January 1966. He was also involved in the freedom movement and spent several years in British prisons before Independence.
October 2 is observed as Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti and also marks the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
