Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (October 31, 1875–December 15, 1950), popularly referred to as Sardar was an Indian statesman, an important leader of the of the Indian National Congress and the deputy Prime Minister in the first cabinet of Independent India.

Contents

1 Early Life 2 Movement for Indian independence 2.1 Kheda struggle 2.2 Bardoli Satyagraha 3 Independent India 3.1 Integration of Princely States 3.2 Constituent Assembly 4 Honors 5 References

Early Life

Vallabhbhai Patel was born into a farmer family on October 31, 1875, in Nadiad, Gujarat, India. He was the fourth son of Jhaverbhai Patel and Ladba. Somabhai, Narsibhai and Vitthalbhai Patel were his elder brothers. Like his contemporaries in the Indian freedom movement, Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, he also went to London to become a barrister in law. He returned back to India to become one of the leading lawyers in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He got inspired by Gandhi and joined the freedom Movement.

Movement for Indian independence

Kheda struggle

Sardar Patel's first major participation was during the Kheda Struggle. The Kheda division of Gujarat was reeling under a severe drought and the peasants asked for relief from the high rate of taxes. When it was denied, Sardar Patel, Gandhi and others led the villagers in their refusal to pay the taxes. Ultimately the government granted tax relief for that year resulting in the first major success for Sardar in his public life.

Bardoli Satyagraha

Sardar's name is associated with the Satyagraha or non-cooperation movement in the town of Bardoli, Gujarat.

Independent India

Eventhough the congress committees in the provinces were supposrting Sardar Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru became the Prime Minister as per Gandhi's wishes. Patel joined Nehru's cabinet as his deputy and also led the home ministry. The relationship between the two were strained with both threatening to resign on many occasions, but they stayed together in deference to Gandhi's wishes.

Integration of Princely States

Even during the transition period before Independence, Patel worked towards the integration of the numerous Indian states into the Indian union. In this effort, he was ably assisted by a bureaucrat V.P Menon. Patel and Menon made the rulers realize the impossibility of ruling their small states independent of India, in the presence of growing opposition from their subjects. He also proposed favourable terms for the merger including creation of privy purses for the descendants of the rulers. All but three of the states merged into the Indian union leading to the comment that Patel “liquidated the princely states without liquidating the princes”. Only Kashmir, Junagadh and Hyderabad did not fall into his “basket”. Junagadh merged into the union, when the subjects started their protests against the ruler, who fled to Pakistan. Hyderabad refused to join even after many other concessions were given. When the Nizam of Hyderabad refused to act against the extremist elements who threatened the Hindu citizens of the state, Patel sent the army and Hyderabad surrendered in a few days with minimal casualities. Nehru took direct charge of Kashmir affairs.

Constituent Assembly

Patel was a member of the constituent assembly led by Ambedkar that drafted the Indian constitution. He ensured that legal minds outside of the congress party like Ambedkar and S.P. Mookerji were part of the constituent assembly. One of his main constributions to the constitution was the abolition of separate electorates and reserved seats for minorities. He achieved this by talking to the leaders of various minority communities and making them realize that these measures would alienated them from the rest of the population.

Honors

• Ahmedabad's airport is named Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
• Sardar Patel University, in Vallabh Vidhyanagar, Gujarat.
• Awarded the Bharat Ratna (jewel of India) posthumously

References

Gandhi, Rajmohan (1987). Patel, A Life. Navajivan publishing house, Ahmedabad.

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