This anecdote dates back to late 1965 when Lal Bahadur Shastri was India’s prime minister. Though short-statured, he proved to be a prime minister one could look up to.
I was in the formative years of my career as a journalist. Being short, I often felt disadvantaged against the taller reporters, particularly while talking to leaders in a protest rally. I faced other problems also, but my friends would always comfort me by pointing to the achievements of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Shastri had successfully headed certain ministries, but after he became the prime minister, I used to wonder how a person of such short stature would be able to run a vast country like India with its massive population and numerous diversities. (It may sound absurd and immature now, but don’t forget that I am talking about a novice, 50 years ago, when there was no television or mobile phones in India).
How I wished I could compare my height with Shastri’s! But I knew it was wishful thinking.
Perhaps Google could have provided the exact height of Shastri, but there was no internet in those days to find that out.
However, by quirk of fate, an opportunity to get close to Shastri came my way. An English language daily in Lucknow, for which I was working at that time, was going to celebrate its centenary with the then president of India, Dr S. Radhakrishnan, with Shastri also scheduled to be one of the guests for the occasion. Completing 100 years of publication is a big achievement for any newspaper and the very thought of being associated with a newspaper with such a long and glorious history was quite exciting for me. No less exciting was the prospect of my dream finally coming true.
Elaborate preparations were being made for months before the big day. The huge compound where the offices and printing press of our paper and its sister publication were located were given a bridal look.
The law-and-order situation in those days was normal, there was no threat to the lives of VVIPs and so no commandos or sophisticated arms and ammunition were required to protect them. Unlike today, there were no traffic diversions along the busy routes taken by the country’s president and prime minister.
The administration merely pitched bamboos, logs or metal pipes on either side of the road to serve as barriers to prevent the crowds from spilling over while the VVIP convoy would pass by. That was just enough.
During our staff meeting, the editor assigned us various jobs. Luckily, I was put in the group that was asked to usher in the two VVIPs from the point at which they would alight from their vehicles right up to the dais.
Men in uniform
Of course, apart from some plainclothed policemen, about half a dozen high-ranking officers were assisted by those in uniform to provide security cover to the president and prime minister. They did not get in our way and did not prevent us from getting close to the VVIPs.
The moment Shastri alighted from his car, I quickly moved towards him, greeted him with a “namaste” (welcome) and started walking with him like a security guard. The little time the prime minister took to reach the dais was precious for me.
Even for that short distance that I escorted the prime minister, I was too keen to find out who was taller: Me or him? While walking, I got too close to Shastri, trying to measure our height. We proverbially rubbed shoulders, with my eyes fixated on him. I knew such an opportunity would not come again, so I utilised those few moments to seek an answer to my cherished query.
Unfortunately, the crowd around Shastri swelled. In the jostling, I got pushed away by taller people and soon lost track. My query remained unanswered. Till date, I do not know who was taller — me or Shastri?
Lalit Raizada is a journalist based in India.
