“October 31, 1875” is the date which is considered very important in the history of India. It is because on this day a person was born who later on was going to change the entire history of India from the view point of politics and India’s Constitution. The person was none other than Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He was a Prominent Leader and a Successful Lawyer who was born in Nadiad city in Kheda District of Gujarat. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. was Indian Independence activist and statesman who served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India from 1947 to 1950

an Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a senior leader of the Indian National. Congress, who played a pivotal role in India’s Independence. As the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India, Patel organised relief efforts for partition refugees fleeing to Punjab and Dehli from Pakistan and worked to restore peace. Besides those provinces that had been under direct British rule, 565 sey-governing princely states had been released from British suzerainty by the Indian Independence Act 1947. Patel together with Jawaharlal Nehru, Lord Lovis Mountbatten persuaded almost every princely state to accede to India.

as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel acted The Home Minister during the political integration of India and during the Indo-Pakistan war. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was deeply influenced and inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and he worked closely with him in the independence movement. The title “Sardar” to Vallabhbhai was given by Mahatma Gandhi which means “Leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was known as “Iron Man of India.”

Our the mind Now the question arises in that why he was known as the Iron Man. so, this question can be concluded by the following Incident. “When Patel was going through the phase of childhood, at that time he developed a boil Has right hand. When his on can parents took him to the doctor, at that time the doctor said that this boil be cured by bursting it with hot hard iron rod. when doctor brought the hot hard iron rod, at that time Sardar’s parents got horrified and the refused the doctor to burst it. At that time, sardar took that hot hard iron road and inserted it onto the boil on his own. It started bleeding very badly and it was very painful but Patel never revealed that pain to anyone during his life. So, the tag of the Iron Man of India” can be proved by this incident as. a common man cannot tolerate this kind of pain.

Sardar Patel harboured a plan to study to become a Lawyer, work and save funds, travel to England and became a Barrister. Patel spent many years away from his family, studying on his own with books borrowed. from other Lawyers, passing his examinations. within two years. Patel practised Law in Godhra, Borsad and Anand while taking on financial burdens of his house in Karamsad. In 1909, Sardar Patel’s wife Thaverba was hospitalised in Mumbai to undergo major surgery for cancer. Her health suddenly worsened and despite successful surgery, she died in the hospital. Patel was informed of his. wife’s demise as he was cross-exxaming a witness in court. According to witnesses, Patel read the note, pocketed it and continued his cross examination and won the case. He broke the news to others only after the procedings had ended. Patel deciding against marrying again. He raised his children with the help of his family and sent them. to English language schools in Mumbai. At the age of 36, he went to England and enrolled at the middle temple in London. Completing a 36 month course in 30 months, Patel finished at the top of his class despite having had no previous college backgrounds.

In September 1917, Patel delivered a speech in Borsad, encouraging Indians nationwide to sign Grandhi’s petition demanding Swaraj – sey rule – from Britain. ct month later he met Grandhije for the first time at the Gujarat political Conference in Godhra. On Gandhi’s encouragement, Patel became secretary of Gujarat Sabha. Supported by congress. volunteers, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel began a village-by-village tour in the Kheda district documenting grievances and asking villagers for their support for a statewide revolt by refusing to pay taxes. In 1920, Patel was elected as president of the newly formed Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committe;” he served as its president until 1945. Patel supported Gandhiji’s Non-cooperation movement and toured the state to recruit more. than 300,000 members and raised over Rs. 1.5 million in funds. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had played parts in many movements. for freeing India like Satyagrah in “Gujarat, Fundamental Rights and Economic. Policy: 1931, Legal Battle with Subhas Chandra Bose, Quit India movement, Cabinet mission and partition, Political integration of Independent India.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was one of the first Congress leaders to accept the partition of India as a solution to the rising Muslim separatist movement Led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah. In December 1946 and January 1947, Patel worked with civil servant V.P Menon on the latter’s suggestion for a seperate dominion of Pakistan created out of Muslim-majority provinces. As the first Home Minister, Patel played one of the major role in the integration of the princely states into the Indian federation. Under the plan of 3 june, more than 565 princely states were given option to choose either of joining India or Pakistan, or choosing Independence. On 6th August 1947, Patel began Lobbying the princes, attempting to make them receptive towards dialouge with the future government and forestall potential conflicks. stressing that the princes would need to accede to India in good faith, he set a deadline of August 15, 1947, for them to sign the instrument of accession document. All the princes willingly merged into the Indian union; only Jammu and Kashmir, Junagadh and Hyderabad did not merge in Indian Union. After that Junagadh Joined India after its ruler’s failed attempt to accede to Pakistan.

The people of Junagadh revolted against this decision of the ruler. So, Facing pressure and opposition, the Nawab fly to Pakistan with his family and states tresury. After that Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto became the Dewan of Junagadh and he invited Indian Government to take control of the state. Now Hyderabad and Jammu Kashmir were left. cfter the independence, Nizam of Hyderabad refused to join Indian urion. So, Indian Government which was led by Sardar Patel, authorized the military campaign to secure Hyderabad ‘ integration. The Indian army launched Operation Polo on september 13, 1948 and ofter jeve days, Nizam surrendered Hand following the military actions, Hyderabad. was formally merged into Indian Union. Now, the case of Jammu and Kashmir was different. The ruler of Jammu and Kashmir refused to gain either India or Pakistan. He wanted to stay independent. But when suddenly, Pakistan attacked on Kashmir at that time they ded not had enough forces. to fight back. So, at that time ruler of Jammu and Kashmir requested Sardar. Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru to send forced for help. At that time, Sardar Patel kept condition that if he will sign instrument of accession then only he will send forces. So, Maharaja Hari singh had to sign instrument of accession and in that way Jammu and Kashmir joined Indian Union.

Sardar: Vallabhbhai Patel was the chairperson of two committees. They were Provincial Constitution Committee and Advisory Committee of Fundamental rights and Minorities. In his twilight years, Patel was honoured by members of Parliament. He was awarded honorary doctorates of Law by Nagpur University, the University of Allahabad and Banaras Hindu University in November 1948. He received this award by Osmania University in February 1949 and from Punjabı University in March 1949. Patel’s health declined rapidly through. the summer of 1949. He later began coughing blood. Patel’s health worsened after and November, when he began losing consciousness frequently and was confined to bed. He was flown to Mumbai on December 12 on the advice of Dr. Roy, to recuperate as his Condition was on December 15, 1950 he died after. deemed critical but suffering a heart attack in Mumbai. Truly, we should be proud of that we got such a great freedom fighter and a great leader. His famous quote is,” ,” Fail Faith is of no avail in absence. of strength. Faith and strength, Both are essential to accomplish any great work.” Later on, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was awarded by Bharat Ratna award in 1991.

The Indian Government built a monument which is dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The monument is the “Statue of Unity.” It is located in Gujarat, facing Narmada Dam, 3.2 km away from sadhu Bet near Vadodara. At the height of 182 meters, it is world’s tallest statue exceeding the spring temple Buddha by Sh meters. The estimated cost of this statue is 29.8 billion rupees ($425m). It was inaugerated by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31, 2018, the 143 ad anniversary of Patel’s birth. The height of this statue has been picked to match the total assembly constituencies in Gujarat. So, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was one of the greatest freedom fighter among all the freedom fighters. So, he truly deserves all this fame. His one of the best quote was, Manpower without unity is not a strength.

Arjav Anal Patel