Political Journey after Independence

After independence, Shastri became a minister in Uttar Pradesh state, in charge of the Police and Transport portfolio

in Govind Ballabh Pant’s cabinet. Among his initiatives in that position were the appointment of women as bus conductors, and a direction to the police that water jets be used instead of lathis to disperse unruly mobs.

Shastri was made the General Secretary of the All-India Congress Committee, with Jawaharlal Nehru as the President, in 1951. The same year he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha. Nehru drew him into the union cabinet. Shastri was the railways minister, though he resigned in 1956, taking moral responsibility for a serious rail accident. But he was soon drawn back into the cabinet, and in 1961, he was appointed home minister; in this capacity he achieved a reputation of being a skilful mediator, and he also formed the Committee on Prevention of Corruption headed by K. Santhanam – on the basis of whose recommendations the Central Vigilance Commission was established. He had also been Minister for Transport and Communications; Minister for Commerce and Industry; and, during Nehru’s illness, Minister without Portfolio.