On 15th December we commemorate the passing away of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel -“The Unifier of India.” He was on of the most influential politician in India and an icon. In his honour Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated “The Statue of Unity”, a 392 foot statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It is the tallest statue in the world and is situated in Gujarat’s Narmada district on a river island facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam.
The “Iron Man of India,” was our country’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister in the post-colonial India. He was a courageous man who made a substantial contribution to India’s freedom movement. His whole life was devoted to realizing his dream of bringing the nation together. He had an exceptional understanding in governance and his steadfast approach of managing situations made him a responsible voice of the masses. In 1991, after 41 years he received the Bharat Ratna posthumously.
Here are some of the lessons which one can learn from him –
Nation First-
When the first Prime Minister of independent India was to be chosen. 12 out of 15 Congress committee in India put forward Sardar Patel’s name as their leader. Despite Gandhi’s preference for Nehru not even a single Indian Congress committee submitted Nehru’s name for nomination in 1946.
Nehru had stated unequivocally that he would not work under the leadership of anybody else. Gandhi was concerned that Nehru would cause split in the Congress. This would give the Britishers a reason to postpone independence. Sardar Patel greatly respected Gandhi and for the greater good of the nation he retracted his candidacy to honor his wishes.
Unity-
Sardar Patel had opposed reservation. He believed that we are all one and we should stand together as one. He is known as the “Unifier of India” because of his firm belief in unity in diversity. According to him – “No distinction of caste and creed should hamper us. All are sons and daughters of India. We should all love our country and build our destiny on mutual love and help.” It was his firm belief in Unity that he integrated around 550 princely states into the Union of India.
We must all take inspiration from him and should let go of our differences. We should not let caste and religion hinder us. For manpower without unity is not strength and development can only be sustainable when its collaborative and inclusive.
Perseverance –
He was born in a peasant family at a time when India was not free. At that time his parents did not have enough means to pay for their regular schooling. Despite this ,Patel educated himself by borrowing books from others. Finally at the age of 22, he was able to pass his matriculation exam.
Later on he wanted to pursue Law in England and had applied in colleges there along with his elder brother Vitthalbhai Patel. However, when the postman came with the envelope he assumed it was for the older brother as they had the same initials. However, Sardar Patel allowed his brother to travel to England even after the confusion was resolved. It was 1905 and at this time he was 30.
At the age of 36, Patel finally left for England to study law. There he finished the three-year (36-month) course in just 30 months. He returned from England as a barrister with flying colours. After going back home, he established his practice in Ahmedabad.
Youngsters must take inspiration from this incident in Sardar Patel’s life as it takes courage and resilience to persist. It takes courage to chase your dreams and consistency to culminate them.
Commitment-
Patel’s wife died of cancer in 1909 following a surgery. He received the news while he was in court yet he continued cross-examining the witness. Instead of reacting he maintained his calm till the court was adjourned and later on he revealed this news to others. This shows the level of his commitment to his duties.
“Every Citizen of India must remember that he is an Indian and has every right in this country but with certain duties”
Foresight-
In November 1950, Patel had sent a letter to then Prime Minister Nehru alerting him of the risks associated with increasing China’s aspirations in North of India. Sadly, the Prime Minister paid no attention, which ultimately proved disastrous when we lost the 1962 war to the Chinese in a humiliating manner.
One can develop this quality by reading and analyzing newspapers , books etc.
Leadership –
He was given the name “Sardar” due to his exceptional diplomatic and leadership abilities. Persuading princes of various states to join India was no simple feat. Throughout his mission, he encountered innumerable difficulties and disappointments, but he never gave up and was able to get past them thanks to his political acumen, wisdom, diplomacy, and foresight.
In life as well, it is important to plan your goals and coordinate your actions in order to accomplish a specific objective. Like in any game, when you are up against a formidable opponent, you must observe how he plays and reacts in order to identify any weaknesses in his strategy. By using strategic planning, players can read the situation and pinpoint their opponent’s weaknesses and make right move at right time.
Decision making-
“That there is today an India to think and talk about is very largely due to Sardar Patel’s statesmanship and firm administration.”-Â wrote President Rajendra Prasad in his diary.
Sardar Patel’s ability to act decisively and his firmness in making decisions is an important lesson for all. Between the years 1947 and 1949, around 565 princely states sat on the fence neither acceding to India nor Pakistan. There were states like Hyderabad which were aiming to gain complete independence. Pakistan was also eyeing it. If nothing was done then India would have had Pakistan within its territory!. During such a volatile period when Nehru was travelling abroad. He took bold decisions and took the responsibility of integrating India upon himself as the Acting Prime Minister.
He kept his head above water and swam past the roaring tides to build a nation. Patel persevered in the face of so many obstacles and enormous responsibilities. Without the vision and tenacity of this man, India would not have had its current geography or territorial and administrative continuity and integrity. It’s all thanks to his iron strong willpower and bold decision making for which he is known as the “Iron Man of India !”