Patel - The Iron Man and The Maker of United India, After 57 Years
Dr. Ravindra Kumar
October 03, 2007
It is fifty-seven years since Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s death. He is still a topic of socio-political discussions in India. It is not something unusual. It is in consequence of the achievements he had made for the Indian society and the nation. They are unique and will ever be remembered. Today he is regarded as a very practical man of his time on one hand and on the other he is considered as a statesman having comparatively superior and practical ideas than his contemporary national leaders.
Sardar Patel very capably merged 554 scattered princely states under varying circumstances into the Union of India. It was not an easy task. It was a very big achievement. Such a work of unification and stability has never been accomplished in the thousand years of the history of India. It is, therefore, Dr. Rajendra Prasad said:
Whatever he did to merge the hundreds of States into the Indian Union was a tremendous task, the example of which is neither available in our history, nor in the history of any other country.
Besides the unification of India, Sardar Patel found solutions to many other problems like the problem arising from the exchange of population at the time of partition of India, of maintaining law and order, of Indianization of the then existing bureaucracy and administration. Besides organizing the relief and rehabilitation of the refugees, he reorganized the Indian Administrative and Police Services. He made significant contributions in the Constituent Assembly in the capacity of the Chairman of the Sub-Committees of Fundamental Rights, States Constitution and Minorities.
The great work that Sardar accomplished cannot be completed by a person in his life time. Yet Sardar Patel did them and well; it is a fact. It is also a fact that a great personality like him is born once in thousand years.
The present generation should know how he was able to solve many problems simultaneously and accomplish great work? I would like to tell that he was able to do so as he had the capability of going deep into the root of the problem and taking prompt action to solve it. He always gave a thought before taking any decision and once it was taken, he considered it as his duty to execute it. He was gifted with this art.
Sardar Patel was able to do all work by himself, it is not so. Neither is it possible. Many of his colleagues and his assistants cooperated with him in his work. Sardar Patel always expressed his faith in them and encouraged them. This was the main cause of his success in all his achievements. Paying a glowing tribute to him in Parliament Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru said:
He was the person who always gave suitable piece of advice in the time of adversity or victory. He was such a colleague and friend who could be relied upon as a tower of strength and who unhesitatingly strengthened us at the time of crisis.
Sardar Patel kept the interest of nation first before launching any scheme or work. The same yardstick was applied while trying to find a solution to any problem. This was the reason that his colleagues and other workers always joined hand with him and were unanimously devoted to achieve the goal. In such an environment he easily executed the task howsoever difficult it might appear to be.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a man of multifarious brilliance. Many may claim to follow his foot-prints or to become like him. But much remains to be learnt from his firm determination and selfless life. Then, in order to maintain the unity and integrity of the country, it would be necessary to adopt a practical and substantial approach like him.
Universally renowned Gandhian scholar, Indologist and writer Dr. Ravindra Kumar is the Former Vice-Chancellor of CCS University of Meerut, India; he is the author of the book entitled, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: Life, Work and Views.
Sardar Patel very capably merged 554 scattered princely states under varying circumstances into the Union of India. It was not an easy task. It was a very big achievement. Such a work of unification and stability has never been accomplished in the thousand years of the history of India. It is, therefore, Dr. Rajendra Prasad said:
Whatever he did to merge the hundreds of States into the Indian Union was a tremendous task, the example of which is neither available in our history, nor in the history of any other country.
Besides the unification of India, Sardar Patel found solutions to many other problems like the problem arising from the exchange of population at the time of partition of India, of maintaining law and order, of Indianization of the then existing bureaucracy and administration. Besides organizing the relief and rehabilitation of the refugees, he reorganized the Indian Administrative and Police Services. He made significant contributions in the Constituent Assembly in the capacity of the Chairman of the Sub-Committees of Fundamental Rights, States Constitution and Minorities.
The great work that Sardar accomplished cannot be completed by a person in his life time. Yet Sardar Patel did them and well; it is a fact. It is also a fact that a great personality like him is born once in thousand years.
The present generation should know how he was able to solve many problems simultaneously and accomplish great work? I would like to tell that he was able to do so as he had the capability of going deep into the root of the problem and taking prompt action to solve it. He always gave a thought before taking any decision and once it was taken, he considered it as his duty to execute it. He was gifted with this art.
Sardar Patel was able to do all work by himself, it is not so. Neither is it possible. Many of his colleagues and his assistants cooperated with him in his work. Sardar Patel always expressed his faith in them and encouraged them. This was the main cause of his success in all his achievements. Paying a glowing tribute to him in Parliament Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru said:
He was the person who always gave suitable piece of advice in the time of adversity or victory. He was such a colleague and friend who could be relied upon as a tower of strength and who unhesitatingly strengthened us at the time of crisis.
Sardar Patel kept the interest of nation first before launching any scheme or work. The same yardstick was applied while trying to find a solution to any problem. This was the reason that his colleagues and other workers always joined hand with him and were unanimously devoted to achieve the goal. In such an environment he easily executed the task howsoever difficult it might appear to be.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a man of multifarious brilliance. Many may claim to follow his foot-prints or to become like him. But much remains to be learnt from his firm determination and selfless life. Then, in order to maintain the unity and integrity of the country, it would be necessary to adopt a practical and substantial approach like him.
Universally renowned Gandhian scholar, Indologist and writer Dr. Ravindra Kumar is the Former Vice-Chancellor of CCS University of Meerut, India; he is the author of the book entitled, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: Life, Work and Views.