Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played a pivotal role in channelling India's unity exhibiting his multifaceted leadership. He had a crucial role in building India in the post-independence years. Sardar Patel pursued the practice of ‘Su-raaj’, meaning good governance, as India's first Home and Deputy Prime Minister. Always rooting for unity, he was also instrumental in mobilising the farmer community of India, as well as bringing together various castes and communities to join the freedom struggle.

Much before his foray into the freedom struggle one can see the force of his iron will-power in his passionate pursuit of law as a career. Gifted with an ingenious mind, Sardar always wanted to become a barrister. However, in those days, to realise this dream, one had to go to England. Having been born to a common farmer's family, he had no financial means to join a college even in India, let alone travel to England.

However, such hindrances were never a deterrent for the young man with steely determination and he always had a way to achieve his dreams. He was self-taught and borrowed books from a lawyer friend to study from home and for practical training, he started attending court sessions to closely observe every argument being made. The young man passed with flying colours and started his practice in Godhra.

Another facet of his character and compassion is seen later on. When he had the financial capability to travel abroad, he first let his elder brother Vitthalbhai, who too was a lawyer, to go to England for higher studies in law. Only after his brother's return did he himself leave for England in 1910, where he stood first in the Barrister-at-Law examination. He returned to India in 1913.

Sardar Patel's foray into the freedom struggle was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi when they met at a meeting in Godhra. From then on, they became friends and Patel started following Mahatma Gandhi's activities, especially after his success in the Champaran Satyagraha.

The defining moment for Sardar came when, in 1918, Kheda was inundated and devastated by floods. With their crops damaged, farmers asked for relief from the heavy taxes the British government had ensued, but to no avail. Gandhiji joined the fight but could not devote his entire attention to Kheda's struggle.

As Gandhiji was looking for a person to take up the cause of the farmers in his absence, Sardar volunteered. As always, he never did anything half-hearted, and his first step was giving up his well-paying legal practice and joining the non-cooperation movement by switching over to Khadi clothes. The struggle was a resounding success with the British Government agreeing to hold talks with Sardar, and later agreeing to his terms of rolling back the tax rates. From then on, there was no looking back for this Son of the Soil.

Paving the way for a clean and planned administration for Ahmedabad, Sardar was further involved in the administration of the city. Prior to joining the freedom movement, he was elected in Ahmedabad Municipality by one vote from Dariyapur Constituency on January 5, 1917, when he was still pursuing his legal practice. He was elected Ahmedabad's Municipal President in 1924 and remained till 1928, during which Ahmedabad saw the extension of electricity supply, some major educational reforms, city planning, water supply and distribution systems and several other public welfare schemes.

After the successful Kheda Satyagraha, Nagpur Flag Satyagraha and Borsad Satyagraha, in 1928 Sardar Patel took up cudgels on behalf of the farmers in Bardoli once again who opposed an arbitrary increase in land taxes. In another resounding victory over the draconian British taxation rules, Sardar organised the farmers, told them not to pay a single paisa of tax, and fought the oppression till the British government bowed down. Another definite struggle was the Disobedience Movement in 1930, following which he was arrested on March 7, 1930. Later, he was released and was elected Congress President in the 1931 session in Karachi. In August 1942, the Indian National Congress launched the Quit India Movement, following which Sardar Patel along with many other freedom leaders was jailed for three years.

Soon after the Indian Independence, some of the Maharajas and Nawabs of the 562 princely states believed they would become independent rulers of their respective kingdoms, similar to the pre-British era. They argued that the Government of free India should treat them as equals. It was Sardar Patel's insight, wisdom and diplomacy that finally convinced the monarchs who agreed to accede with the Indian Republic.