Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: The Iron Man of India

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: The Iron Man of India

SardarVallabhbhai Patel, often referred to as the “Iron Man of India,” was a prominent Indian freedom fighter and statesman who played a pivotal role in shaping modern India.

• SardarVallabhbhai Patel was an instrumental figure in India’s journey to independence and its subsequent transformation into a democratic nation.

Childhood and Early Life:

• VallabhbhaiJhaverbhai Patel was born on October 31, 1875, in Nadiad, a small village in Gujarat.
• He hailed from a simple agricultural family, and his early years were marked by the influence of his mother, who instilled in him values of honesty, integrity, and self-discipline.
• Vallabhbhai Patel’s family belonged to the agriculturist LewaPatidar Community.
• They had a lower middle-class economic status and lacked a tradition of education.
• Vallabhbhai spent his childhood working in the family’s ancestral fields in Karamsad.
• From a young age, Vallabhbhai exhibited qualities of organization and leadership.
• In primary school, he successfully organized a three-day strike among his classmates to protest against a teacher’s excessive use of corporal punishment.
• It is believed that his father had participated in the Indian Mutiny under Rani of Jhansi and was later taken prisoner by Malhar Rao Holkar.

Early Career

• Vallabhbhai’s formal education began when he matriculated at the age of twenty-two.
• His family faced financial difficulties, which made higher education unaffordable.
• Instead, he pursued a course in law and established a small law practice in Godhra, a town in Gujarat.
• However, a significant turning point occurred when he contracted the plague while nursing a friend.
  • This compelled him to leave Godhra.
• Vallabhbhai moved to Nadiad, and in 1902, he settled in Borsad, a town in the Kheda district of Gujarat, where a high number of criminal cases were recorded at the time.
• In Borsad, he gained popularity as a defense lawyer, showcasing his early legal acumen and advocacy skills.
  • However, his aspirations went beyond practicing law in India.
• Vallabhbhai desired to travel to England and qualify as a Barrister.
  • His legal practice in Borsad had generated enough income to support his journey to England, but certain circumstances delayed his plans.
• Notably, Vallabhbhai’s brother, Vithalbhai, expressed his own wish to complete his education in England, and Vallabhbhai readily agreed to this.
  • He even financially supported Vithalbhai’s stay and education in England.
• Amidst these career and family obligations, Vallabhbhai faced a personal tragedy when his wife, Zaverbai, passed away in 1909 after undergoing surgery for an abdominal ailment.
• In a poignant display of composure, Vallabhbhai received the news of his wife’s death while cross-examining a witness in a murder case in Anand.
  • His ability to maintain focus and professionalism during a deeply personal tragedy was a testament to his character.
• Vallabhbhai finally realized his dream of studying in England when he sailed there in 1910.
  • He joined the Middle Temple, a prestigious institution for legal education.
• During his time in England, Vallabhbhai worked diligently and excelled in his studies. He received top honors in Roman Law, earning a prize.
  • Moreover, he completed his legal education and was called to the Bar in just two years, a remarkable achievement compared to the typical three-year period.
• Upon his return to India in 1913, Vallabhbhai Patel established a successful law practice in Ahmedabad.
• His legal career allowed him to demonstrate his quick wit, practical wisdom, and deep empathy for those who found themselves entangled in legal disputes, often due to the actions of British officials.
• As a prominent Barrister, Vallabhbhai Patel earned a respected position in public life, marking the beginning of his journey in Indian politics and public service.

Early Political Career:

• Vallabhbhai Patel was deeply impressed by Mahatma Gandhi’s unwavering leadership in addressing public issues.
• In 1917, he took his first step into public service by getting elected as the Sanitation Commissioner of Ahmedabad.
• From 1924 to 1928, he served as the Chairman of the Municipal Committee in Ahmedabad.
• Under his leadership, the Municipality transformed from a mere extension of British rule into a self-governing and responsive body.
• In 1917, he was elected as the Secretary of the Gujarat Sabha, a political organization that actively supported Mahatma Gandhi in his campaigns.
• His association with Mahatma Gandhi deepened during the Kheda Satyagraha of 1918, which sought exemption from paying land revenue assessments due to crop failures.
  • The campaign involved three months of intense efforts, including arrests, confiscations, and official brutality.
  • Eventually, the colonial government reluctantly provided relief.
  • Mahatma Gandhi acknowledged Vallabhbhai’s pivotal role in the success of the campaign, stating it wouldn’t have been as successful without his assistance.

Joining the National Freedom Struggle

• The period from 1917 to 1922 was marked by significant civil unrest in India, with events like the end of World War I, the Rowlatt Act, and the Khilafat movement, which resulted in violence and terror in the Punjab.
• In response to these events, Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress initiated the non-cooperation movement.
• Vallabhbhai Patel made a life-altering decision, leaving his law practice and devoting himself entirely to political and constructive work.
• His activities included touring villages, addressing gatherings, organizing protests against foreign cloth shops and liquor vendors.

The Bardoli Satyagraha and the title of ‘Sardar’

• The Bardoli Satyagraha emerged as a significant event.
• The cause of the Satyagraha was the British government’s decision to raise land revenue assessments in Bardoli taluka significantly, with some villages facing an increase of 50 to 60 percent.
• Failing to obtain a resolution through other means, the farmers of Bardoli, under Vallabhbhai Patel’s leadership, decided to withhold land revenue payments.
• The struggle was challenging, marked by seizures of property and livestock, leading people to lock themselves and their livestock indoors for safety.
• Arrests followed, accompanied by police brutality and the involvement of hired Pathans.
• The Bardoli Satyagraha gained national attention.
• Patels and Talatis resigned from their jobs, and government revenues went unpaid.
• Eventually, the government had to concede to popular demands, postponing the realization of increased land revenue.
• This victory was not only a success for the 80,000 peasants of Bardoli but also a personal triumph for Vallabhbhai Patel.
• In recognition of his leadership and resolve, he was bestowed with the title “Sardar” (meaning leader or chief) by the nation.
  • This title became synonymous with his name and legacy.

Role in Indian National Movement

• In the early 1930s, the political situation in India was reaching a crisis point.
• The Congress had embraced the goal of complete independence (Purna Swaraj) for India.
• In 1930, Gandhiji initiated the Dandi March and Salt Satyagraha to protest against the salt tax.
• Vallabhbhai Patel, although not in breach of the Salt Law, was the first major nationalist leader to be arrested on March 7, 1930, before Gandhiji’sDandi March.
  • He was later released in June.
• In March 1931, SardarPatel presided over the 46th session of the Indian National Congress, which ratified the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
• The Indian National Congress agreed to participate in the Round Table Conference in London.
• However, the Conference did not succeed, and Gandhi, Patel, and other leaders were subsequently arrested.
• Vallabhbhai was imprisoned with Gandhi in Yeravada Jail for sixteen months from January 1932 to May 1933.
• During his time in Jail, he cared for Gandhiji when he protested against separate electorates for untouchables through a fast-unto-death.
• Sardar Patel was later transferred to Nasik Jail for a year and was released in 1934.
• Congress and Government of India Act 1935:
  • In 1935, the Government of India Act was introduced, and the Congress, while critical of the Act, decided to make use of its constitutional provisions that offered some self-government to Indians.
  • Congress chose to participate in provincial legislature elections.
  • Congress secured majorities in seven of the eleven provinces and formed Congress Ministries.
  • Vallabhbhai Patel, as Chairman of the Congress Parliamentary Sub-Committee, oversaw and controlled the activities of these Ministries.
• Individual Civil Disobedience and Arrests:
  • Gandhi initiated Individual Civil Disobedience against India’s participation in the war.
  • Congress leaders began courting arrest in protest.
  • Vallabhbhai Patel was arrested on November 17, 1940.
  • He was released on August 20, 1941 due to health reasons.
• Quit India Movement:
  • The All India Congress Committee passed the Quit India resolution on August 8, 1942, in Bombay.
  • Vallabhbhai Patel and other Working Committee members were arrested on August 9, 1942, and detained in Ahmednagar Fort.
• Imprisonment and Negotiations:
  • Patel remained in jail for about three years during this period.
  • At the end of World War II, when Congress leaders were released, and the British Government sought a peaceful constitutional solution for India’s Independence, Vallabhbhai Patel became one of the chief negotiators for the Congress.

Contribution to Post-Independence India

• Role in Integration of Princely States:
  • Patel served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of Independent India.
  • After independence, the British left the princely states with the choice to join India, Pakistan, or remain independent, leading to uncertainty about India’s territorial integrity.
  • Patel was tasked with the immense challenge of persuading the princely states to join India.
• Integration of Over 560 Princely States:
  • Patel’s diplomatic finesse and negotiation skills played a pivotal role in integrating over 560 princely states into the Indian Union.
  • His efforts ensured that the princely states chose to be a part of India, preventing the nation from being fragmented.
• Use of Force in Exceptional Cases:
  • In instances where princely states like Junagadh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Hyderabad did not initially agree to join India, Patel resorted to the use of force to ensure their integration.
  • This approach was vital in maintaining India’s unity as a nation.
  • Integration of Hyderabad:
    • Hyderabad was the largest princely state in India, ruled by the Nizam, and its integration was a complex and sensitive task.
    • Patel employed a combination of diplomacy, coercion, and strategic planning to achieve this integration:
    • Patel initiated negotiations with the Nizam to persuade him to accede to India peacefully.
    • He assured the Nizam that his interests and privileges would be protected within the Indian Union.
    • When diplomatic efforts failed, Patel ordered “Operation Polo,” a military action that involved the Indian Army’s invasion of Hyderabad in September 1948.
    • This operation led to the surrender of the Nizam’s forces and the eventual integration of Hyderabad into India.
  • Role in Kashmir Conflict:
    • In September 1947, during the Pakistan invasion of Kashmir, Patel advised the rulers of Kashmir to accede to India.
    • Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir, in the face of a tribal invasion from Pakistan, signed the Instrument of Accession to India in October 1947.
    • He then ordered the Indian Army to repel the invaders and reclaim the territories under attack, safeguarding Kashmir’s integration with India.
  • Integration of Junagarh:
    • The Hindu majority in Junagarh held a plebiscite, which resulted in the decision to join India.
    • Patel used diplomatic channels to build international support for India’s stance and pressurized the Nawab to reconsider his decision.
    • After Junagarh’s accession to India, Patel ensured a smooth administrative transition, which helped in the rapid integration of the state.
  • Creation of All India Services:
    • Patel was a driving force behind the establishment of the All India Services, recognizing their importance in building a strong administrative infrastructure for the new nation.
  • Contribution to the Constituent Assembly:
    • Patel was a significant contributor to the Constituent Assembly of India, where he played a key role in the drafting of the Indian Constitution.
  • Restoration of the Somnath Temple:
    • Under Patel’s supervision, the historic Somnath Temple in Saurashtra was restored, reflecting his commitment to preserving India’s cultural heritage and religious sites.

Gandhi’s Influence

• SardarVallabhbhai Patel was deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s life and principles.
• When Gandhi initiated the Non-cooperation Movement, Patel abandoned his thriving legal practice and committed himself to the cause of India’s independence.
• In a display of humility and selflessness,Sardar Patel heeded Gandhi’s suggestion and withdrew his candidacy for the presidency of the Indian National Congress in 1946, putting the unity of the Congress and the broader freedom struggle ahead of personal ambitions.

His Death

• SardarVallabhbhai Patel’s health declined significantly in the years following Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination in 1948 and he suffered a heart attack.
• In December 1950, due to the severity of his health condition, Patel was taken to Bombay (now Mumbai) for medical treatment.
• While in Bombay, he experienced a second heart attack, which proved to be fatal.
• SardarVallabhbhai Patel passed away on December 15, 1950, marking the end of a significant era in India’s struggle for independence and the early years of the nation’s history.

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