The nation celebrates 149th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on October 31, 2024. The Sardar is called the Iron Man of Bharat—the person who, through sheer political grit, determination and strong will, performed the reorganisation and integration of the 565 princely states in the country and carved out a United Bharat during one of the most turbulent phases of its chequered history.
He was one of that rare species of politicians who saw reason and acted with fairness in the interest of all, without fear or favour. He was a core humanist at heart, secular in approach and firm in action. He was both a gifted statesman and a political visionary. Unlike most politicians of the current times, he was simple, straightforward, and sombre. He never indulged in doublespeak or talked with the proverbial twisted tongue. He said what he meant and meant what he said. Bharat owes a lot to him for what it became and continues to be— a well-knit, stable federal state.
More than the iron man of Bharat—the moniker attached to him, the Sardar was the anchorage man of Bharat, for, he singularly takes credit for creating the solid foundation for our country by preventing the breakup of Bharat into many independent states, as was being sought to be done by the British colonialists through their machinations. He came in the way of these intrigues and stood firm like the rock of Gibraltar. His clear-sightedness and firm resolve as a true nationalist laid the foundations of Bharat as a post-colonial independent nation. He fastened this nation to its moorings as a nation of deeply humanistic culture. He was instrumental in re-establishing and resurrecting Bharat’s unique geopolitical identity, which shows this ancient nation as an ideological lighthouse in the world through its long history.
Born on October 31, 1875, in Nadiad, central Gujarat, to Jhaverbhai Patel and Ladba, he was one among six siblings in a well-to-do family with ownership of landed property. His childhood was spent under strong parental care and protection. But that did not make him fussy or demanding. As a young boy, he remained calm and stoic, true to his innate nature. He underwent schooling at Nadiad, Petlad and Borsad. It may surprise many that he took longer than usual to clear his matriculation examination, which prompted many of his kinsmen to ridicule him and label him incapable of doing big things in life.
But talent and ability often hide below the surface, only to manifest at the appropriate time, as per divine design. He was diligent and patient. After clearing his Matriculation exam, he had prepared himself to attain a law degree abroad, having saved enough funds. He became a barrister after completing his law education in Britain. During his stay in England, he found himself short of funds, but he managed things by borrowing books from his fellow students, which was true to his patience and precise nature.
Upon return to his homeland, he moved to Godhra, passed the bar exam, commenced practice as a lawyer, and established a good reputation as a capable barrister.
Tragedy struck Gujarat with the outbreak of the Bubonic Plague. Those were the days when medical men had no answer to contagious epidemics like Plague. The humanistic instinct in Vallabhbhai came to the fore, and instead of preventive isolation, he tended to his friends who suffered from it and, in the process, contracted the disease himself. He had to isolate himself during this period, spending time in a dingy temple till his recovery.
In 1909, while interrogating a witness in a court proceeding, he received a written message about his wife’s death. But without getting perturbed, Vallabhbhai continued with his case and also won. It was in his nature to endure pain to assuage the pain of others.
He was inclined to do something to improve the quality of education in the society. To this end, he established a School named Edward Memorial High School in Borsad. This School continues to run under the name Jhaverbhai Dajibhai Patel High School. Fast forward in his life chronology, in 1917 in Ahmedabad, he contested the election for the Sanitation Commissioner and won. The same year, he met M.K. Gandhi and joined the independence movement, acquiring membership in the Congress Party.
After a trail of demonstrated commitment to various causes and successful handling of tasks in hand, he was 1920 elected as the President of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee and continued in this role till 1945.
He strongly supported the Satyagraha movement against the ban on raising the Indian Flag. He garnered the support of many volunteers in this movement. He settled with the British rulers, facilitating the release of existing prisoners and allowing public hoisting of the national flag.
Fundamental Rights and Economic Policy resolution was passed by Congress in 1931 under the chairmanship of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Sardar Patel was arrested along with Gandhi in 1932 and was released in 1934. He was sent to prison again in 1940 for 9 months when he sided with Gandhi in the Quit India Movement during the currency of the Second World War.
Patel was initially sceptical of Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence but later began to support it. Following the declaration by the British for transfer of power as per the Indian Independence Act 1935, elections for the post of Congress President were to be held in 1946. The elected Congress President would be the first Prime Minister of independent Bharat. As per the constitution of the Congress, the Pradesh Congress Committees (PCC) were the electoral colleges that would participate in the election process. In the election, out of 15 PCC Members, 12 voted in favour of Sardar Patel.
But what happened after that was the death of democracy. Sardar Patel acquiesced to Gandhi’s unreasonable and undemocratic plea to make Nehru the PM instead of Sardar Patel. This was the worst thing that could have happened to our nation at that time, as now revealed by turning the pages of history books.
After Bharat achieved independence, Patel became the first Home Minister and also the Deputy Prime Minister. Patel played a crucial role in post-independence Bharat by successfully integrating princely states under Indian dominion. The British Government presented these rulers with two alternatives: they could join Bharat or Pakistan or stay independent. This made the states’ integration task intended by Sardar Patel arduous and uphill but displaying a rare degree of political acumen and statesmanship of the highest order, Patel was successful in integrating all states by entreaty or force and secured their accession. The Bharat that we see today was a result of the efforts put in by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
In 1948 and 1949, he was conferred with awards and many honorary doctorates of law by various universities for his yeoman contribution to the nation’s cause.
Patel breathed his last at 75 on December 15, 1950, at Birla House in Bombay, now called Mumbai. The recognition and awards did not stop after his death, and he was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1991.
While critically evaluating Sardar Patel’s role and contribution to the Indian nation, one cannot but feel sad at the way he walked in the shadow of Gandhi, idolising him and treating him as his mentor whose every word was a commandment for him. This is more ironic and unfortunate considering that Sardar Patel was a man of better human character and bigger political stature than Gandhi, whose role in Bharat’s political journey has been shadowy and controversial. One can say that Sardar Patel also displayed the instinct of hero-worshipping, which is a dominant trait among the members of Indian society even now. The action of Patel’s hero-worshipping Gandhi proved to be his undoing and cost our nation heavily. If only he had stood firmly by democratic principles upon his election as the Congress President, disregarding Gandhi’s undemocratic plea, we would have seen a different Bharat.
History never treats anyone unfairly. It brings out the truth and strands of truth sparkle amidst the dark grains of falsity. Sardar Patel was an illustrious son of his mother, India (maa Bharati), and his life was a saga of selfless service to the nation. He will remain a model for nationalism, unity, political grit and statesmanship for a long time.
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