Organiser Diary: Patel was never anti-Muslim

Intro: Painting Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel as anti-Muslim was a deliberate plot by the ideologues that shored up the partition. The contemporary Patel-Indira controversy is meaningless.

“There was a well orchestrated conspiracy to paint Sardar Patel as an anti-Muslim leader. Patel was never an anti-Muslim. On the other hand what he opposed was the Muslim League which was instrumental for the country’s partition”, said noted journalist and BJP’s national spokesman MJ Akbar on “National Unity & Sardar Patel’s Contribution” in connection with the state level subscription drive of Organiser English weekly and Kesari Malayalam weekly in Kozhikode also known as Calicut on October 31.

MJ Akbar added that partition was suicidal for the Indian Muslims. Partition was not only for the formation of Pakistan but also for the demolition, ruination and destruction of Hindustan. Major difference between Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru was in their attitudes towards secularism. Nehru’s was the European sort of secular approach. But, Patel formulated his world view based on pure nationalism. He was not at all ready to accept anything other than unconditional merger of the princely states with India. This strong and uncompromising stand only ensured the merger of Hyderabad with Indian Union. Otherwise Hyderabad would have been an issue for United Nations and it would have been a permanent topic like Kashmir for the world body.
Akbar opined that partition was never a border or geographical issue. It was an ideological issue in all aspects. The co-existence of various and multifarious societies can be seen only in India, nowhere else. The contemporary Patel-Indira controversy is meaningless. The coincidence of anniversaries of Patel’s birth and Indira Gandhi’s martyrdom is nothing but accidental. One is commemorated not at the cost of the other. But, here what we witness is unnecessary arguments. Media should be able to accept the historical realities.
Former IIT Director Dr MP Chandrashekaran and Film maker Ali Akbar received the first receipts of subscription for Kesari and Organiser from MJ Akbar. Bharatheeya Vichara kendram Vice President Dr CI Isaac spoke on “Reinventing Nehru in Post Independent Era”.
Chief Editor of Kesari Dr NR Madhu presided. Kesari Managing Trustee Advocate PK Sreekumar, Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram, Kozhikode and District Joint Secretary MN Sunder Raj spoke on the occasion.

—T Satisan from Kochi