13th August 2020

 Musings.......

Freedom Fighters - Part 13 

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 

Born 31st October 1875, Vallabhai Jhaverbhai Patel was born in Nadiad, Gujarat. He belonged to the Patidar community of Central Gujarat. 

Even at a young age he was known for his ethical character. 

He hailed from a farmers family where Vallabhbhai Patel was considered an unambitious man destined for a commonplace job. He however, passed the law examination, studying by himself often with borrowed books. 

By 1909 he was an established Barrister in Ahmedabad.  Patel ran for the post of Sanitation commissioner of Ahmedabad in 1917 and won. He however had no political ambitions. 

A chance meeting with Mahatma Gandhi in 1917 changed the life of Sardar Patel and led him to join the Indian independence struggle.  

On Gandhijis wishes Patel became the President of the Gujarat Sabha that became the Gujarat wing of the Indian National Congress later. 

On Mahatma Gandhi’s call Patel quit his hard earned job and joined the fight for exemption of taxes in Kheda in 1918. 

The now historic Kheda Satyagraha (1918) - the First Non Cooperation movement was led on the ground by Vallabhbhai Patel and Congress volunteers including Narhari Parikh, Mohanlal Pandya, Abbas Tayyabji and Ravi Shankar Vyas. 

Even though led by Gandhiji he was only the spiritual head of the campaign where he called for farmers not to pay taxes. Patel and others went from village to village in Kheda district asking for their support for a revolt by not paying taxes. 

The Government agreed to revoke the taxes for the year and Patel emerged a hero to Gujaratis. 

In 1920 Patel was elected the president of newly formed Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee, a post which he held till 1945. 

Patel staunchly supported Gandhi when he called for the Non- Cooperation movement in 1920 and travelled across India to recruit 3 Lakh members to the cause and collected more than 1.5 million as fund for the cause. 

When Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned and the British brought a law banning the hoisting of Indian flag, it was Patel who led the Satyagraha in Nagpur in 1923 against the law. 

It was the Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928 that earned Vallabhbhai Patel the title of “Sardar” and made him popular throughout the country. So great was the impact that Pandit Motilal Nehru suggested Patels name to Gandhi for Presidentship of the Congress. 

Bardoli suffered from the double problems of famine and steep tax hike. With Gandhis blessings it was Patel who negotiated a settlement including repealing of tax hike and reinstating seized property. 

Patel participated in Gandhijis Dandi March and was arrested and put on trial without witnesses. 

Patel was elected Congress President in the Karachi Session of 1931- where The historic “ Fundamental Rights and Economic Policy” resolution of Indian National Congress was passed. 

Sardar Patel became closer to Mahatma Gandhi when the duo were arrested in 1932 and kept in the same Yerwada Jail, Poona in 1932 after the failure of the Round Table Conference and re- opening of the struggle.  

Patel has ideological differences with Nehru and clashed with him on the issue of adoption of socialism at the 1936 Congress session which he believed was a diversion from the main goal of achieving independence.  

Patel also clashed with Subhash Chandra Bose when the latter attempted to move the Congress away from Gandhijis principles of non- violence. He led the Congress leaders protest that resulted in Bose resignation.  

At the outbreak of World War II,  Patel supported Nehru’s decision to withdraw the Congress from central and provincial legislatures, against Gandhijis wishes. 

Patel also supported the view of supporting the British in the war, if they promised India Independence after the war. This was originally a proposal by C. Rajagopalachari which was rejected by the British. 

Patel supported Gandhijis call for Individual Satyagraha in 1940 and was arrested and kept in jail for nine months. 

Patel aggressively supported Gandhijis call of Quit India which began in 1942 and along with the entire Congress Working Committee was arrested and imprisoned from 1942 to 1945. 

After Independence, Patel became India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home affairs. 

In what was to become his lasting legacy, Patel took charge of the States department and was responsible for the accession of 565 princely states into the Union of India. 

Patel breathed his last in December 1950. 

Patel and Nehru 

Sardar Vallabhai Patel is another such Congressman who is being usurped by the Right wing BJP in recent times. 

His differences with Jawaharlal Nehru is being highlighted to demonstrate a sort

of rift between the two. 

As we can see clearly the rift between Nehru and Patel were at an ideological level.  The correspondence between the two through letters, beyond doubt shows their mutual respect and adoration for each other. 

Though 12 out of the 15 Pradesh Congress Committees favoured Patel to the post of Congress Presidentship in 1946, it was Mahatma Gandhi who wanted Nehru to lead India.  Patel always obeyed and listened to Gandhi and had no political ambitions in a free India. 

In the Wardha Congress Session of 1942 Gandhi had formally designated Jawaharlal Nehru as his political successor. In Gandhis own words “ ...not Rajaji, not Sardar Ballabhbhai, but Jawaharlal will be my successor... When I am gone, he will speak my language”. 

The Congress Presidentship of 1946 was crucial as the President would be the de- facto Prime Minister in a free India. 

On August 1st 1947, two weeks before India became Independent, Nehru wrote to Patel a letter asking him to join the cabinet. Nehru also indicated that he already considered Patel as the strongest pillar of the cabinet. 

Patel replied guaranteeing unquestioned loyalty and devotion. He had also mentioned that their combination is unbreakable and theirein lies their strength. 

It is a well established fact that both leaders had great mutual respect for each other. There were differences in approach- but end goal for both was to find what is best for India. 

As the Home Minister, Patel did his best to protect Muslim lives in Delhi during riots after partition. 

Patel was an open defender of Hindu interests because of his upbringing - but ruled with an impartial and secular hand. 

Sardar Patel banned the RSS after the assassination of Gandhiji.  He said after banning RSS in 1948 “ All their speeches were full of communal poison. As a result of the poison, the country had to suffer the sacrifice of the invaluable life of Gandhiji”. 

It is hence unacceptable and ironic- if I borrow historian Ramachandra Guha’s words, that Patel is being claimed by the BJP when he was himself a lifelong Congressman. 

Patel was a selfless leader who placed the country’s interest above everything else and shaped India’s destiny with single- minded devotion. 

He is rightly called the “ Iron Man of India” who once said - 

“ We worked hard to achieve our freedom; we shall have to strive harder to justify it”. 

Food for Thought.......

RC