Written by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was not only an Indian attorney but also a prominent politician who played a pivotal role in India’s struggle for independence. He held several significant positions, including Minister of Information, Deputy Prime Minister, Home Minister, and Minister of State during India’s initial three years of independence after 1947.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is widely known as the Iron Man of India and will always be remembered as one of India’s most influential and charismatic freedom fighters. He was an integral part of India’s fight for independence and a major figure in the independence movement. His role in securing independence for our country was indeed crucial.
Education And Early life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
He attended primary school in Karamasad and high school in Petlad. Sardar Patel took an extended period to complete his school education, passing his 10th-grade examination at the age of 22.
In August 1910, he moved to London for further studies and completed the 36-month advocacy course in just 30 months. Upon his return to India in 1913, he settled in Ahmedabad and became a barrister in criminal law at the Ahmedabad bar.
From 1917 to 1924, Patel served as the first Indian municipal commissioner of Ahmedabad and was the president of the Municipality from 1924 to 1928.
Sardar Patel made his first significant impact in 1918 when he launched a movement with the help of farmers and zamindars of Kairana (Gujarat) against the Bombay Government’s decision to recover taxes after a poor crop season.
In 1928, Patel successfully led the agitation of Zamindars of Bardoli against increased taxes. As a result of his successful leadership in Bardoli, he was awarded the title of “Sardar,”.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s contribution to India’s independence movement
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played a significant role in India’s independence movement. During the 1930 Salt Satyagraha, Patel was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. In March 1931, he presided over the Karachi session of the Indian National Congress.
Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel also participated in Gandhi’s civil disobedience movement, for which he was arrested in 1940 and served nine months in prison, during which he lost more than 20 pounds.
During the Quit India Movement (1942), Sardar Patel was arrested and imprisoned from 1942 to 1945 at the fort in Ahmednagar.
Patel led the Congress Party in the 1937 elections and was a major contender for the post of Congress President, but due to Gandhi’s pressure, he withdrew his nomination, and Jawaharlal Nehru was elected instead.
Patel was once again the leading candidate for the post of President of the Indian National Congress, but Gandhi once again intervened, and Jawaharlal Nehru was elected as the President of the Congress.
Following this, Nehru was invited by the British Government to form the Interim Government. If Sardar Patel had been elected as the President of the Congress, perhaps he could have been the first Prime Minister of the country.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Involvement in the Unification of the States
Despite his failing health and advanced age, Sardar Patel never lost sight of the goal of establishing a united India. He played a key role in bringing around 565 princely states into the Indian Union. Some princely states, such as Bhopal, Hyderabad, Travancore, Junagadh, and Kashmir, initially opposed joining India. Sardar Patel worked tirelessly to negotiate agreements with these princely states, resorting to various tactics when necessary. He used force to acquire the princely states of Junagadh, governed by a Nawab, and Hyderabad, controlled by a Nizam, when they refused to join the Union of India. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s efforts in unifying the princely states with British Indian territory prevented the fragmentation of India.
Other Activities of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
In addition to his other duties, Patel was a prominent member of the Constituent Assembly of India, where he played a crucial role in drafting the Constitution of India. He chaired the Provincial Constitution Committee and the Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities, and Tribal and Excluded Areas.
He collaborated with Muslim leaders to abolish separate electorates and advocated for reservations for minority communities.
Patel was pivotal in the establishment of the Indian Administrative Service and Indian Police Service. He also worked to protect civil servants from political interference and strived for the All India Services to be free from corruption, favoritism, and political pressure.
He was a driving force behind the creation of the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Limited, which preceded the Amul brand in Gujarat.
Furthermore, he spearheaded the restoration of the Somnath temple in Gujarat.
Legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour of the country, in 1991.
Rashtriya Ekta Divas or National Unity Day was inaugurated in 2014 to commemorate the contributions of the “Iron Man of India”, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The Statue of Unity, the tallest statue in the world with a height of 597 feet, was inaugurated on October 31, 2018, on the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
India Post released commemorative stamps for Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1965, 1975, 1997, 2008, and 2016.
The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Museum in Ahmedabad, established in 1980, is a repository of various books, documents, and aspects of his political and personal life.
The Sardar Sarovar Dam is a gravity dam built across the Narmada river in Gujarat to supply water for agricultural activities in four states.
The Indian National Police Training Academy in Hyderabad is named Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Institute of Technology (Surat) and Sardar Patel University (Meerut) are also named after him.
The international airport of Hyderabad, known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, is named after him.
Death of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel passed away on 15 December 1950 at Birla House in Bombay, after suffering heart attack. He was posthumously awarded the highest civilian award of India, the ‘Bharat Ratna’, in 1991. Today, 15 December 2020, marks the 70th anniversary of his passing.
Also Read:
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Biography
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Biography
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sardar Patel famous for?
Sardar Patel accomplished the remarkable task of persuading nearly 565 self-governing princely states, which had been freed from British control, to join the Union of India.
Why is Sardar Patel called Iron Man?
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is known as the “Iron Man of India” due to his unwavering commitment to national integration in the newly independent country.
Who gave Sardar title to Patel?
Mahatma Gandhi conferred the title of “Sardar” upon Vallabhbhai Patel in recognition of his exceptional organizational skills during the Bardoli Satyagraha. It was after the Indian National Congress’ triumph in the Bardoli Satyagraha that Patel first came to be known as Sardar.
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