Vallabhbhai Patel is one such name that reminds us of the unity of India. The entire credit for uniting India goes to Vallabhbhai Patel. Patel was not only a freedom fighter but also a renowned lawyer and politician. After returning from England, he started his career as a lawyer in Ahmedabad. Inspired by the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi, he devoted himself to the Indian independence movement. From the late 1910s to India’s independence, Patel faced multiple imprisonments and participated in many movements. After independence, Patel became a key figure in the unification of India and earned the famous nickname “Iron Man of India” for his work.
Biography/Wiki
Vallabhbhai Patel, also known as Sardar Patel, was born on October 31, 1875, in a Patidar family in Nadiad, Bombay District, British India (now in the state of Gujarat). He received his primary education in Nadiad, Petrad and Borsad. Since childhood, he wanted to be a successful lawyer. At the age of 22, he passed the pre-university examination. He often borrowed books from friends and studied on his own. Later, he settled in Godhara with his wife Jhaverba Patel.
In the late 1900s, Patel contracted the Black Death while caring for a friend with the same disease. At that time, he immediately rushed his family to a safe location; because the disease is highly contagious, sometimes even after he recovered. Patel founded “Edward Memorial High School” in Borsard and served as its first president.
Patel practiced law in Godhra, Borsad and Anand in Gujarat. Although Patel wanted to become a lawyer in England, he did not have the money to study abroad at the time. However, later, at the age of 36, he enrolled at Middle Temple College in England. He has excellent academic performance. He completed the 36-month course in 30 months without a university background and achieved the first place in the class. While studying in England, Patel was deeply influenced by the British way of life and interestingly adopted it. After returning from England, he was fascinated by British style; because he used to always wear suits and speak only English.
Sardar Patel in England in 1910
Patel became a prolific lawyer in Ahmedabad, earning him good reputation, wealth and fame. At that time, he was an excellent player of bridge, a card game. Patel sent his children to an English-medium school in Mumbai. In 1909, Patel’s wife Jhaverba was hospitalized for cancer surgery. Although the surgery was successful, she died in hospital. Patel learned of his wife’s death while cross-examining witnesses in court. Patel read the note about his wife’s death, put it in his pocket, and continued working.
family
Patel was born to Jhaverbhai Patel and Ladba. He has four brothers: Somabhai Patel, Narshibhai Patel, Vithalbhai Patel (legislator), Kashibhai Patel and a sister Dahiben. He is the fourth child of his parents, after Somabhai, Narshibhai and Vithalbhai.
Patel’s mother and her five sons, Sardar Patel is on the far right
In 1891, at the age of 16, he married Jhaverba Patel. The couple had two children, daughter Maniben (b. 1904)
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and his daughter Maniben Patel
and son Dahyabhai Patel (b. 1906). Gautam Patel and Bipin Patel are the grandsons of Sardar Patel.
Daya Bhai Patel, son of Sardar Patel
Profession
Patel is a skilled lawyer. Although he was initially uninterested in politics, at the urging of friends, he contested the municipal elections in Ahmedabad in 1917 and won. He was elected health commissioner of Ahmedabad and in the same year was appointed secretary of the Gujarat Congress (the political body that helped Gandhi campaign). In 1920, he was elected Chairman of the Gujarat Congress Committee and served until 1945. From 1924 to 1928, he served as Chairman of Ahmedabad Municipal Committee. During the Salt Satyagraha, Patel was the first person to be arrested. He was arrested on March 7, 1930, but was later released in June. Initially, he did not support Mahatma Gandhi. Once, Mahatma Gandhi came to the Gujarat Club to deliver a speech. Meanwhile, Patel was playing bridge at the club. Patel did not go to listen to Mahatma Gandhi’s speech. When another activist and his friend GV Mavalankar were going to listen to Mahatma Gandhi’s speech, Sardar Patel stopped him and said, “Gandhi will ask you if you know how to remove pebbles from wheat. This It should bring independence.”
He was deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi when he launched the Indigo Rebellion in support of the farmers, and his subsequent meeting with Gandhiji in October 1917 swayed Patel towards Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology. During the Kedar Satyagraha, Patel became closer to Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi Ji once said: “Without the assistance of Vallabhbhai, this movement could not have been so successful.” After the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919, Patel supported Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement and threw Dropped all British clothes and started wearing khadi clothes. To this end, he lit a bonfire in Ahmedabad and burned British clothes, flags and goods.
Sardar Patel and Mahatma Gandhi
In 1932, when the London Round Table Conference failed, he was arrested along with Mahatma Gandhi and sent to Yeravda Central Prison in Maharashtra, where they were imprisoned for more than two years until July 1934. moon. On August 9, 1942, during the Quit India Movement, Patel and other members of Congress were arrested and detained at Ahmednagar Fort.
After India’s independence, he was elected as the First Deputy Prime Minister of India, responsible for home affairs, state and information and broadcasting affairs. Although he was preferred as the first Prime Minister of India, he could not become the first Prime Minister of India. Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India. He disagreed with Jawaharlal Nehru on many issues.
Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru
He united 562 princely states and established a huge independent country-India. He was the supreme commander of the Indian Army during the 1947-48 Indo-Pak war and India’s political integration.
dispute
- When Patel was president of the Ahmedabad Municipal Community, he was hit with multiple corruption charges. A case of “false declaration of funds” worth Rs 1.68 lakh was filed against him in the Ahmedabad District Court on April 28, 1922.
- Patel has been criticized for being biased against Muslims. He was severely condemned by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad for his quick acceptance of the partition of India.
Sardar Patel with Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (far left) and Subhas Chandra Bose (far right)
- Supporters of Subhash Chandra Bose also criticized Patel for suppressing those who did not support Mahatma Gandhi.
die
In the summer of 1950, Patel’s health deteriorated. His daughter takes too much care of him. His health deteriorated starting on November 2; when he began to lose consciousness and was confined to his bed. On December 12, 1950, he flew to Bombay (now Mumbai) on the advice of Dr. Roy. He died of a massive heart attack on December 15, 1950, at Birla House, Bombay.
Sardar Patel dies of heart attack
He was cremated in Sonarpur, Mumbai, in a ceremony attended by nearly a million people, including then Prime Minister Nehru, Rajagopalachari and President Rajendra Prasad.
Awards/Honors
In 1991, the Indian government posthumously awarded him the highest civilian award “Bharat Ratna”.
interesting facts
- He has been a stoic person since childhood. He never complained about the pain and sorrow of life. At one point, he punctured his own painful boil without hesitation.
- After his wife’s death, Patel was forced by his family to remarry, but he refused. He raised his children with the help of other family members and sent them to an English medium school in Mumbai.
- He is an expert in the game of bridge.
- He also used to drink and smoke.
- While he was working as an advocate in Ahmedabad, he helped his brother enter politics.
- Patel expressed his hatred for the RSS after RSS volunteer Nathuram Godse assassinated him. Despite this, RSS still likes Patel’s work.
- Many public institutions are named after him. His clothes and other belongings are preserved at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial in Ahmedabad.
Sardar Patel’s coat, preserved at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial
- October 31st is not his real date of birth. When he enrolled, he mentioned October 31 as his birth date. In 2014, India’s 14th Prime Minister Narendra Modi dubbed the date “Rashtriya Ekta Diwas” (Day of National Unity).
- He was awarded various titles like Sardar, Sardar Patel, Father of the Nation, Iron Man of India, Bismarck of India, Unifier of India.
- In 1993, a biopic was filmed based on his life called Sardar. The film is directed by Ketan Mehta and written by the famous playwright Vijay Tendulkar.
- Sardar Patel’s Statue of Unity is a 182-meter-tall statue (the tallest statue in the world) erected at the Sarovar Dam in Garudeshwar, Narmada district, Gujarat. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the statue on October 31, 2018. The statue was designed by renowned sculptor Ram V. Sutar.
The Statue of Unity was sculpted by Ram V Sutar
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education