From humble origins, Lal Bahadur Shastri rose to the pinnacle of power as India's prime minister and achieved phenomenal success in national and world affairs entirely on the strength of his personal qualities.

Of all the great men, it is Shastri who springs to mind when I read Confucius's definition of the perfect gentleman.

"There are nine things," said Confucius, "the gentleman turns his thoughts to: to seeing clearly when he uses his eyes, to hearing acutely when he uses his ears, to looking cordial when it comes to his countenance, to appearing respectful when it comes to his demeanour, to being conscientious when he speaks, to being reverent when he performs duties, to seeking advice when he is in doubt, to the consequences when he is enraged, and to what is right at the sight of gain."

As an individual, Shashtri had the moral and ethical attributes of a mahatma, a great soul.