Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur paid their tribute to the memory of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri by laying a wreath and observing a minute's silence in front of the Shastri Monument in Tashkent.
Receiving the prime minister at the monument, the mayor of Tashkent, Abdu Kahhar Tuhtaev, told him that the area where the Shastri monument is located is one of the most serene areas of the city. One of the streets flanking it is called Shastri street.
"We have a school here and the children often play in the park around the monument. Children from other schools in Tashkent who are learning Hindi often come here because they associate this park with India because of this monument. This has become like an India Square in Tashkent. Many people who have fond memories of India come here to enjoy the serenity of this place," he told Dr Singh.
Thanking the Mayor, Dr Singh told him that 'Lal Bahadur Shastriji was a great son of India and a leader who is deeply loved and admired for his integrity, his simplicity, his courage and his patriotism. Last year we observed the birth centenary of Shastriji and our entire country recalled his commitment to our nation, to our farmers and soldiers and to our people'.
"I am very happy that the people of Tashkent have erected this memorial to pay tribute to his memory. Shastriji passed away here in Tashkent but he lives on in our hopes and minds. The serenity of this place where you have built this monument symbolizes the serenity we associate with Shastriji. I thank you on behalf of our people for keeping his memory alive," Dr Singh added.
Shastri died ostensbibly of a heart attack in Tashkent on January 11, 1966, a day after signing a ceasefire agreement with Pakistani President Muhammad Ayub Khan. he is the only Indian Prime Minister to have died abroad.
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