After Shastri, Who?

For years, the question in New Delhi was, "After Nehru, who?" It was answered on Nehru's death by the unanimous election of tiny, humble Lai Bahadur Shastri as Prime Minister. Last week, after only 24 days in office, worried Indians were already asking, "After Shastri, who?"

With shy, childlike excitement, Shastri had been preparing for this week's London meeting of the Commonwealth heads of state. The trip was vitally important, since Shastri was to confer personally with Pakistan's President Ayub Khan in hopes of finding a solution to the Kashmir dispute that has so long divided their countries. Shastri, who has only once in his life been beyond India's borders, and then only to neighboring Nepal, was especially looking forward to spending a night at Chequers, the country estate of Britain's Prime Ministers.

Suddenly, Shastri fell ill. At first Indians feared it might be a heart attack similar to the one he suffered in 1959.

But the doctors put the blame on inoculations for cholera and typhoid, in preparation for the London trip. As soothing medical bulletins continued to be issued, the Indian newspapers did not press for details, and editorial comment gently chided Shastri for his 18-hour working days.

Then, last week, in the midst of a blistering heat wave that made New Delhi a furnace, it was abruptly announced that Shastri would not go to London after all, but would be represented there by Finance Minister T. T. Krishnama-chari and Nehru's daughter, Information Minister Indira Gandhi. Shastri's statement said he was bowing to the wish of his doctors and added, "I myself feel well enough, but they are unyielding."

Shastri's comfortable, old-shoe quality was best shown by his insistence that he convalesce in his bungalow in New Delhi, where his retiring wife, Lalita Devi, does all the cooking, not only for her husband but for more than a dozen relatives and all the servants and secretaries. "Don't they all belong to one family?" she asks, and seems unperturbed by the stream of visitors who come to commiserate with Shastri, rub his back or simply exchange with him the palms-together namaste salute.

At week's end Indians were disturbed by an authoritative leak that the trip was canceled because Shastri had in deed had a heart attack and must rest for at least six weeks and cut down on his tireless pace if he hopes to lead a normal life. With the shadow of Nehru's death still hanging over the country, India was unnerved at the prospect of so soon again having to search for a leader. If Shastri is incapacitated and must resign, candidates for the prime ministership would be legion, ranging from ex-Finance Minister Morarji Desai, who had been eager to run against Shastri, to Indira Gandhi and Home Minister Gulzari Lai Nanda, currently the No. 2 man in the Cabinet.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.