Sardar Vallabhai Patel was one of the finest leaders India ever witnessed and he played an important role for India’s freedom struggle. He was an inspiration of Indian youth and the main architect of the United India.
Apart from Sardar Patel, India had many other contemporary leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Acharya Kripalani, Ambedkar, Subhash Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, Madan Mohan Malavia, B.C.Roy, Kamaraj, Rajendra Prasad , Dr Radha Krishnan etc. Mahatma Gandhi was the most versatile and charismatic leader during the freedom struggle and after the independent.
Vallabhai Patel was born on 31 st October 1875 in Nadiad village of Gujarat and he died in 1950 before Indiaâs first general election took place in 1952.
He was a freedom fighter, great executive, having strong will power, organizer, great leader and he was known as Iron man of India. His widespread contribution towards India’s unity and integrity will be remembered for ever.
He was considered as a disciplinarian and the real boss of the Congress party. His way of socialism was down-to-earth, socialism which had roots in the realities of life. He was not at all interested in rhetoric on socialism.
Sardar Patel carried out excellent job in unifying India and building the nation and he was widely known as architect of the United India.
Just after the independence, he met all the state Kings and impressed them his devoteeness to the nation and asked them to join biggest democracy of the world. Some states nakedly declined to be part of India so that Sardar had to use the administrative and military power to make them surrender their states. Sardar clearly told them to be part of India or get ready to fight against India.
He was the main instrumental in persuading more than 500 Kingdom to join the mainstream of India. Because of his vehement efforts, the entire India today standing united all these years.
Just after India became independent, Sardar Patel did an almost impossible job of uniting all the Princely states into Indian Union. He had difficulties in states like Hyderabad that was ruled by Nizam who had decided to join with Pakistan. But the determined and defiant Sardar Patel took military action against Nizam that has forced the Nizam to be part of the Indian Union.
While British regime was ruling in India, Goa was a colony of Portugal. But after the independence, Sardar Patel took a right decision to annex Goa into unified India. Accordingly Indian Army marched to Goa and asked Portuguese to surrender. They surrendered very quickly and laid down their arms.
Just after India became Independent in 1947, Sardar Patel was nominated for the post of Prime Minister by the leaders of Congress party. Whereas, Mahatma Gandhi made his choice in the favour of Jawaharlal Nehru. As Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a pure gentleman, dedicated member of congress party and having great deal of respect on Mahatma Gandhi, he eventually withdrew his candidature for the post of Prime Minister.
Mahatma Gandhi wanted a young person who could stay on the power for atleast 10 years to lay the foundation of modern democratic India and to take care of the 90% of Indian Population who were living below poverty line. He also wanted a dynamic, young, secular, foreign educated with modern thoughts, visionary with modern outlook leader like Pundit Nehru to become Prime Minister of India to guide the destiny of India for a longer period, and to tackle the problems of post independent era of the country in a systematic manner.
Whear as Patel suffered a heart attack in March 1948 and he was advised to avoid hectic task. Later he passed away in 1950 due to heart attack.
Pundit Nehru was 15 years younger to Sardar Patel and he was more appealing to the younger generation. Pundit Nehru spent in Jail more than any other leaders during the freedom struggle.
Nehru was more popular than Patel among Indian mass, having deep understanding about Indian history and its diversity and he had wide range knowledge, views and ideas about the world.
Sardar Patel was India’s first deputy Prime Minister and the Home Minister. Though Patel differed with Nehru on many important issues related to the country, personally both the leaders nurtured great deal of respect and mutual trust among each other. That was main reason just after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru did not accept Sardar Patel’s resignation even after Patel was ready to resign from the home ministry post.
Nehru sent a letter to Patel to repose his clear cut faith on Sardar Patel as well as the home ministry he was handling at that time. In this letter Nehru further reminded Patel about their 30-years partnership during the freedom struggle and asserted that it was totally wrong to quarrel just after Gandhi’s assassination.
Sardhar Vallabhbhai Patel and Mahatma Gandhi was always keeping good rapport and cordial relationship among each other. Sardar Patel could not be able to bear the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and his sudden demise severely affected the health of Patel. Just after two months of Mahatma Gandhi’s demise, Patel experienced massive heart attack and he passed away.
