India celebrated the 150th birth Anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875-1950) in 1925. Sardar Patel played a pioneering role in unification of the country and paving the way for a stable administrative set up in India. It is the right occasion to understand the legacy of Sardar Patel in its diversity and long-term effect. This article tries to highlight this legacy.
The irony with the Iron Man of India is that though he made enormous contribution in building Indian nation, but he was not appreciated in full measures by those who were responsible for managing the same Indian nation for last seven decades. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is best known for integration of 562 Princely States with Union of India, at the time of India’s independence. But few take care to know the complexity and difficulty involved in process of this integration. Even Mahatma Gandhi realized the difficulty involved in the task, when he remarked to Patel, ‘The problem of the states is so difficult that you alone can solve it’ (Modi: 2018). V. P. Menon (1955: 02), the Secretary of the Department of States, Government of India and the close lieutenant of Patel in the integration process, in his book, ‘The Story of Integration of India States’, refers to the ‘toils and anxieties that had to be undergone’ during the entire process. Menon also refers to Patel as ‘our inspiration and light’ in the consolidation of India. Thus, there was no dearth of material and information on the details of his huge contribution, which could have been utilized for inspiring coming generations for invoking their commitment for strengthening national unity and integration. Patel is not responsible for this omission. Now, though late, it is good that we are awakening to rectify this omission. The unveiling of his 182 feet high statue, the tallest in the world in Gujarat on 31st October, 2018 and terming it as ‘Statue of Unity’, appears to be befitting initiative to highlight Patel’s role in laying the foundation stone of Indian unity in modern times.
Sardar Vllabhbahai Patel is considered a great freedom fighter, a symbol of India’s unity, a pragmatic visionary as well as crisis manager of modern India. His ideas and vision and contribution in building modern India need to be assessed. The posterity evaluates the vision of great persons in two ways. First approach is by going through their authoritative texts penned down by them and contextualizing their ideas with their deeds and actions. The major flaw in this approach arises when there is mismatch between the written ideas and actual actions and we tend to bridge the gap under the weight of their high positions. The Second way to evaluate is by analyzing the actual actions and deeds of the person and inferring his ideas and vision from those actions. The major merit of this approach is that there is no scope of mismatch between the deeds and the ideas which are inferred from actual actions. Patel was a man of words but not a man of writing lengthy texts in flowery languages. Hence, Patel’s contribution is often evaluated through his actions. And therefore, he enjoys the commendable consistency in his actions and ideas, a trait, which was largely shaped through his close association with Mahatma Gandhi. Patel’s vision and mission can be discerned from his actions during freedom struggle and also during transition of power from British to India as well as subsequent post-independence years till his death on 15 December, 1950. It was during his participation in freedom struggle that his commitment to national cause, his organizing abilities, and crisis management skills were shaped and gradually strengthened. This commitment, ability and skills proved valuable in his nation-building efforts during and after India’s independence.
A Fierce Freedom Fighter: Kheda and Non-Cooperation
Patel began his career as a barrister in Godhra, Borsad and Anand in the Bombay province. Later, he enrolled at Middle Temple in London to complete a 36-month law course, which he did in 30 months with his hard work and dedication. Coming back from England, he shifted to Ahmedabad, where soon he became a leading barrister, who was considered skilled and fierce in his pleadings. However, destiny had in store a higher role for him as came in contact with Mahatma Gandhi in October, 1917, for the first-time during Gujarat Political Conference in Godhra. Earlier in September, 2017, Patel exhorted people to sign Gandhi’s nationwide petition for self-rule in India. On Gandhi’s encouragement, became the Secretary of the Gujarat Sabha, which became Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee in 1920 and Patel was elevated as its President, which Patel continued to hold till 1945. During Kheda Satayagra in Gujarat, in 2018, Patel became the choice as second in command to organized Kheda Satyagrah, as Gandhi had many pressing engagements in Champaran and elsewhere. This Satyagrah was launched to support peasants of the Kheda district. People of Kheda were unable to pay the high taxes levied by the British due to crop failure and a plague epidemic. Patel conducted village to village tour, encouraged farmers not to pay land revenue, and created a network of volunteers in each village to support farmers to hide their valuable and protect themselves during police raids. Following negotiations with Patel, authorities agreed to not only suspend its collection for a year but also reduce the tax rate.
After his success in Kheda, Patel also emerged a leading figure in Bombay provinces during Gandhi’s call for Non-cooperation in 1920. During this movement Patel shed his western attire and embraced Khadi, recruited more than 3 lakh volunteers and collected 1.5 million funds for the movement. While, Gandhi faced criticism from many quarters for suspending non-cooperation movement at its peak in 1922, following Chauri Chaura incident. But Patel not only supported Gandhi’s decision, but also actively contributed to his Constructive programme in subsequent years. In 1923, the British government imposed ban on hoisting Indian flag in public places. Patel was assigned by the members of Congress the task of launching Satyagrah against this ban. Patel organized many processions with the help of volunteers to oppose this ban. Finally, he negotiated an agreement with government to allowing hoisting of Indian flag in public places. This is known as Jhanda Satyagrah.
Bardoli Satyagrah: Emergence of Sardar
However, Patel’s mettle as great organizer and fearless leader standing for national cause came into display during Bardoli Satyagrah in Gujarat organized in1928 to resist the hike in land revenue amidst severe drought faced by farmers. Patel developed a network of volunteers across affected areas, organized protest marches and camps and enlisted support of the people for the complete refusal of payment of taxes. After four months of intense resistance, Patel reached a settlement with government, whereby the hike in land revenue was rolled back and returning seized land and property to farmers. The major success of Patel lies in enlisting support of all sections of people cutting across caste and communities. It was during Bardoli Satyagrah that Patel was informally bestowed the hour of being a ‘Sardar’ by the women of Bardoli in recognition of his leadership qualities.
Patel was a key figure during Dandi Styagraha during two phases of this movement from 1930 to 1933. He was arrested thrice during the course of this movement] last time along with Gandhi he was imprisoned in Yarvada jail, In the jail, Gandhi and Patel discussed political and socio-economic issues of national importance national and developed close bonds, which continued till the end of their lives. Meanwhile, Patel was elected President of Congress for its Karachi Session in 1931, where under his able guidance and leadership, Congress passed the Resolution on fundamental rights and civil liberties. The resolution also included many progressive measures like establishment of a secular nation in India, provision of minimum wage for workers, and the abolition of untouchability. One can make sense of Patel’s vision of modern India thorough the ideological tone this resolution, as these progressive measures also find place in the Constitution of independent India.
Guiding Parliamentary Politics of Congress
The British Government introduced certain measures for progressive realization of responsible government in India through the Government of India Acts of 1919 and 1935. Gandhi under his leadership restructured the Congress with its all India units from village to national level. These changes led to diversification of role of Congress in two distinct categories: First, to launch agitations and Satyagrahas against the unjust policies and programmes of the British Government as a representative of Indian people and Second, to participate in the legislative process as a political party. Patel proved his abilities in the first role of the Congress under the leadership of Gandhi. During various struggles from Kheda to Dandi, Patel displayed not only his organizing skills, strong determination and hard work, but also proved for the first time that he was a self-made man as well as a right choice for Gandhi as his true follower. Now, it was a new role placed on his shoulders as manager of Congress party affairs in the legislative process. He switched his role from organizer of Satyagrah to manager of Congress parliamentary affairs and he excelled in both. In 1934, he was appointed as Chairman of the Central Parliamentary Board of Congress Party. By this time, Patel also emerged as main fundraiser of Congress. He played an effective role in not only selecting suitable candidates for the 1934 elections of the Central Legislative Council, but managed fund for them, articulated Congress stand on different issues and managed election process. Patel repeated this role during elections to provincial assemblies in nine provinces of India. Later, when Congress formed government in provinces, Patel guided congress government and maintained discipline among office bearer and ministers.
By his diverse roles in national movement and Congress, Patel emerged as the frontline leader of India. Among the top leaders of Congress, his respect and loyalty for Gandhi was total and unparallel. When Subhash Chandra Bose was elected Congress President in 1938 and tried to wean away Congress from Gandhian principles of non-violent resistance, Patel organized senior Congress leaders to protest these changes, which resulted in the resignation of Bose from the post of Congress President in early1939. And, again during Quit India Movement, Patel supported Gandhi’s line. In fact, the Congress faced a moral dilemma with respect to India’s forced entry into the World War II, particularly in view of involvement Nazi Germany from other side. As British forces received initial reverses in early 1940s in Europe and East, there was fear of India coming under the occupation of Japan. Congress leadership was divided as how to respond to new developments. Gandhi wanted an all India campaign to force British to quit India, so that India could defend herself. Nehru, Azad and Rajgopalachari opposed Gandhi’s proposal, but Patel supported Gandhi and called for immediate launching of campaign. Gandhi and Patel succeeded as the All India Congress passed the Quit India Resolution at Bombay on 7 August, 1942.
Quit India Movement and Patel
During Quit India Movement, Sardar Patel again displayed his skills for organizing mass movement as he galvanized popular support through his speeches across country with the message to refuse to pay taxes, participate in the mass protests and shut down all public services. He also displayed his foresight in preparing second command of Congress leadership in case frontline leaders are put behind bar during the movement. He exposed British Government’s duplicity in not introducing reforms in India during war. His speech on 7 August, 1942 at Gowalia Tank in Bombay before a crowd of more than one lakh people has electrifying effect on Indian nationalists:
“The objective this time is to free India before the Japanese can come and be ready to fight them if they come. They will round up the leaders, round up all. Then it will be the duty of every Indian to put forth his utmost effort within non-violence. No source is to be left untapped; no weapon untried. This is going to be the opportunity of a lifetime” (Parikh: 1953, 477-480).
Patel was arrested on 9 August, 1942 and was imprisoned in Ahmednagar for along with other leaders of Congress. When he came out in June 1945, he found signs of transfer of power to Indians and hence a new role in store for him- the consolidation of India as a nation.
Negotiating Transition of Power
During transition of power to India till independence and even thereafter, Patel’s qualities of a skilled diplomat and negotiator, a leader with pragmatic approach and foresight, a crisis manager, a committed disciple of Gandhi and of course a gear patriot were in full play and all national events till his death bear his imprints. The Cabinet Mission proposals released on 16 May, 1946 aimed to manage transition of power to India as they contained provisions for a constituent Assembly, Interim government and a loose Union of India, with extensive provincial autonomy and grouping of states as a first step for partition of India. Muslim League accepted these proposals in initially and Congress rejected them as it found them divisive. These initial positions indicated that Congress would not be part of the interim government. It was Patel, who reversed this position through his foresight, pragmatism and negotiating skill as he obtained assurance from Cabinet Mission Members not give political force to grouping of states proposal on the one hand and persuaded Nehru, Rajendra Prasad and Rajgopalachari to accept these proposals on the other. This paved the way for formation of interim government by the Congress. Later, Gandhi also fell in line on Patel’s line. When the matter of deciding the leader of Congress came before Congress Parliamentary Board, out of 16 votes, Patel secured 13 votes; J. B. Kriplani secured 3 votes and Nehru none. However, on Gandhi’s desire, Patel stepped aside and pave the way for Nehru to lead the interim government. There is no example of personal sacrifice and commitment in modern Indian history. Patel joined Nehru’s interim government and head Departments of Home Affairs and Information and Broadcasting.
Following Muslim League’s ‘Direct Action’ programme, Communal riots in Muslim majority areas of country especially Punjab and Bengal. In the face of the ongoing communal violence, Patel and his secretary V.P. Menon were the first to adopt a pragmatic approach to conceive two dominions of Indian and Pakistan. When the partition of the country was announced on 3 June 1947 under the Mountbatten Plan, Patel not approved the plan but also persuaded Nehru and other Congress leaders to accept the proposed partition in the meeting of the All India Congress Committee. He said, ‘I fully appreciate the fears of our brothers from (the Muslim-majority area). Nobody likes the division of India and my heart is heavy. But the choice is between one division and many divisions. We must face facts’ (Menon: Reprint 1997, 385). Later events proved that Patel’s pragmatic approach was correct.
Management of Communal Problem
As India’s independence approached, the two issues- communal problem and integration of princely states preoccupied Patel’s immediate attention during this period. Patel was already engrossed in managing refugees and taming communal violence in the wake of impending partition of the country. On the issue of Communal violence, he was aggrieved to learn that communal hatred has come to such a pass no Muslim can go about in Amritsar and no Hindu or Sikh can even think of living in Lahore. The practical approach to this situation was that India gets back all her men and women across the border and sends out all Muslims from East Punjab. Amidst, this clear and bold approach, he would not compromise with the security of refugees crossing the Indian border. On hearing killing of Muslim refugees crossing in to Pakistan, Patel rushed to Amritsar and exhorted Hindu and Sikh leaders that attacking helpless people was cowardly and dishonorable. Patel asked the Community leaders to ledge the safety of Muslim refugees crossing the city. Any obstacles or hindrances will only worsen the plight of our refugees who are already performing prodigious feats of endurance. If we have to fight, we must fight clean (Quoted in Shankar: 1974-75). Patel was quite successful in his appeal. Patel’s lead role in organizing relief and emergency supplies, establishing refugee camps, and visiting the border areas with Pakistani leaders to encourage peace proved helpful in managing communal problem with less pain and sufferings. G. S. Bajpai, former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, remarked, ‘The fate of our new State hung in the balance during those perilous months when millions moved across the new frontiers under conditions which are still vivid—indeed, too vivid—in our memories, and therefore, need not be described. That despite some oscillation the scales stayed steady was due not only to the faith of the people in its leaders, but to the firm will and strong hand of the new Home Minister’ (PIB: 1950).
Integration of Princely States
The next herculean task was the integration of 562 Princely states in to the Union of India. The Princely states were given the choice of either joining India or Pakistan or remaining as independent entities. Patel was again selected for this complex task. Patel was considered a statesman of integrity with the practical acumen and resolve to accomplish a monumental task. Patel handled this challenge with his diplomatic acumen and determination within the short duration of time. He persuaded Princely rulers with his negotiating skills and used both carrot and stick approach to make them sign the instrument of accession for joining Indian Union. Patel used both formal and informal methods like social meetings and unofficial interaction to engage with princely rulers. Patel convinced them that there was no inherent conflict between the Congress and the princely order. Patel invoked their patriotism by exhorting them to join in the independence of their nation and act as responsible rulers. He persuaded them of the impossibility of independence from the India, especially in the face of growing opposition from their people. Patel also cared for feeling of financial insecurity among princely rulers after joining Indian Union and came out with the idea of annual pension for them, known as privy purses, which was included in the Constitution of India.
Patel received lightening success in his mission as by the time India became independent on 15 August, 1947, all but three princely states acceded to India. The remaining three states- Junagarh, Jammu and Kashmir and Hyderabad were later acceding to India and Patel again ensured their merger with India. Junagarh in present Gujarat had 80 percent Hindu population, but Nawab acceded to Pakistan. Following large scale civil unrest against Nawab, India sent her army Junagarh and Nawab fled to Pakistan. Later India organized a plebiscite in Junagrh and 99-5 percent people voted in favour of India. Hyderabad also had a majority Hindu population, but its ruler Nizam Osman Ali khan was a Muslim, who wanted either independent status or merger with Pakistan. Both these options were unworkable, but with Pakistan’s encouragement Nizam tried to procure arms from foreign countries. For Patel, it was insulting to have an independent country within Indian Territory. Meanwhile, Nizam’s Muslim forces known as Razakars attacked native Hindu population leading to disruption of civil order. Patel prevailed on Nehru in getting cabinet approval for police action in Hyderabad. As Nehru was on foreign tour, Patel as acting Prime Minister ordered the police action in Hyderabad on 13 September, 1948 and within five days, Nizam’s forces surrendered and Hyderabad became part of India.
Kashmir’s problem was complex as it was a majority Muslim population with Hindu ruler and it was adjacent to Pakistan border. The Hindu king of Kashmir Hari Singh wanted to maintain independent status. Meanwhile, Pakistan army and tribal forces invaded India in September 1947. India insisted on Kashmir acceding to India to send her forces and Hari Singh signed Instrument of Accession on 26 September. Patel ordered India forces to repel Pakistani forces. Meanwhile against Patel’s wishes Nehru moved to United Nations. The UN mediated ceasefire agreement became effective on1st January, 1949, but a part of Kashmir remained under Pakistan’s control. With passage of time, Kashmir’s problem has become more complex. In 1950, when Chinese forces entered Tibet, Patel pleaded for a hardline approach against China. On both Kashmir and Tibet, future events have proved that Patel was right, but unfortunately, he is not alive to see this.
Prime Minister Modi, acknowledging his contribution the geographical consolidation of India, remarks, ‘He worked with astonishing speed to dismantle the history of imperialism and create the geography of unity with the spirit of nationalism. He saved India from Balkanization and integrated even the weakest of limbs into the national framework’ (Modi: 2018). However, Patel was not content with merely geographical integration of India, rather he wanted a psychological integration of Indian people, which is the foundation of sustainable unity. V. P Menon has placed this on record, ‘We Had demolished the artificial barriers between the states inter se and the rest of India and had laid the foundation for an integrated administrative and financial structures. But the real integration has to take place in the mind of people. This could not be accomplished over-night. It would take some time for the people of the erstwhile states to outgrow their regional loyalties and to develop a wider outlook and broader vision (Menon: 1955, 332). Besides psychological integration, we need to have a welfare state, which takes care of all small and mighty, poor and rich; and strong and weak. Patel warned that we can ignore the existing realities only at our peril. In the words o Menon, ‘to have dissolved 554 States by integrating them into the pattern of the Republic; to have brought about order out of the nightmare of chaos whence we started, and to have democratized the administration in all the erstwhile States, should steel us on to the attainment of equal success in other spheres. For the first time India has become an integrated whole in the real sense of the term, though this is but the foundation on which to build a prosperous Welfare State. India would do well to remember the pregnant words of Sardar that ‘it will be folly to ignore realities; facts take their revenge if they are not faced squarely and well’ (Menon: 1955, 333).
Vision for Modern Indian Civil Services
He realized the crucial role that civil services play in administering a country, in not merely maintaining law and order, but running the institutions that provide the binding cement to a society. It was at his insistence that constitutional provisions were made for their security, so that they serve the nation without fear and favour. He was instrumental in creating All India Services, the steel frame of India. The idea behind the All India Services is to ensure administrative uniformity and administrative integration of India. Patel pleaded the case for All India Services in the Constituent Assembly on 10 October, 1949. ‘There is no alternative to this administrative system… The Union will go; you will not have a united India if you do not have good All-India Service which has the independence to speak out its mind, which has sense of security that you will stand by your work… If you do not adopt this course, then do not follow the present Constitution. Substitute something else… these people are the instrument. Remove them and I see nothing but a picture of chaos all over the country’ (Lok Sabha: 2018).
Patel wanted a civil service, which is incorruptible and impartial and dedicated to the service of people. He reminded them that the ICS was now neither Imperial, nor civil, nor imbued with any spirit of service after Independence. His exhortation to the probationers to maintain utmost impartiality and incorruptibility of administration is as relevant today as it was then. He exhorted India civil servants, ‘A civil servant cannot afford to, and must not, take part in politics. Nor must he involve himself in communal wrangles. To depart from the path of rectitude in either of these respects is to debase public service and to lower its dignity’ (Naidu: 2017).
Patel’ administrative acumen, his acknowledgement of the significance of civil service was derived from his own experience in governance, particularly in the 1920s, when he served the Ahmedabad municipality. While in Ahmedabad, he did commendable work in furthering cleanliness in the city. He ensured clean and functioning drainage systems and focused on other aspects of urban infrastructure, such as roads, electricity and education. This experience came in handy when he worked towards strengthening independent India’s administrative framework. (Modi: 2018). He is rightly remembered as the ‘patron saint of India’s civil servants’ for having shaped the contours of modern Indian civil service. And this was recognized by none other than civil servants themselves. In an unprecedented and unrepeated gesture, on the day after his death more than 1,500 officers of India’s civil and police services congregated to mourn at Patel’s residence in Delhi and pledged ‘complete loyalty and unremitting zeal’ in India’s service (PIB:2018). This is the rarest of rare tribute to any leader of India in the post-independence era.
Few would remember that Patel was one of the earliest promoters of cooperative movement in India. He has launched many agitations for the cause of farmers in Gujarat, In 1950, a delegation of Gujarati farmers complained to him that about the exploitation of intermediaries during selling their milk production to the markets, Patel encouraged them to them to organize the processing and sale of milk by themselves through a cooperative body. The result was the organization of the Kaira District Cooperative Milk producers Union Limited, which later introduced the Amul Dairy brand, now popular in entire country. Thus, if India is known for a vibrant cooperative sector today, credit goes to Patel. The roots of Amul can be traced back to his vision for empowering local communities. It was also Sardar Patel who also popularized the idea of cooperative housing societies, thus ensuring dignity and shelter for many (Modi: 2018).
Patel placed his duties and commitment to nation much ahead of his personal interests. He exhorted Indians, ‘Hamara pratham kartavya hai Hindustan ki hifazat, Hindustan ki raksha’ in this speech delivered on the occasion of Dusshera on 12 October 1947. Girija Shankar Bajpai, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of External Affairs, paid tribute to ‘a great patriot, a great administrator and a great man. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was all three, a rare combination in any historic epoch and in any country’ (PIB: 1950). He may not have been the prime Minster of India, so also was not Gandhi, yet his contribution to Modern India surpasses the contribution of many Prime Ministers of this country. Without his services to the nation with firm determination, strong will power, organizing abilities, crisis management skills, analyzing events with future shape, India would not have been what she is today. On many issues like Kashmir and Tibet, the future events have proved him right, a fact, which compels us to think of him even today.
REFERENCES
Lok Sabha (retrieved 2018) Constituent Assembly of India Debates (Proceedings) – Volume X, 10 October, 1949. Available At: http://164.100.47.194/Loksabha/Debates/cadebatefiles/C10101949.html
Menon V. P. (Reprint 1997, 1956) The Transfer of Power in India. New Delhi: Orient Longman.p.385.
Menon, V. P. (1955) The Story of Integration of Indian States. Longman Green and Co., London. Available At: http://sardarpatel.nvli.in/media/1786
Modi, Narendra (2018) Sardar Patel worked to create geography of unity with spirit of nationalism, writes PM Modi. Analysis, The Hindustan Times, 31 October, 2018.
Naidu, Venkaiah (2017) Quoted in the Great Unifier, The Indian Express, 31 October, 2017. Available At: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/sardar-vallabhbhai-patel-birth-anniversary-india-narendra-modi-bjp-4914433/
NVLI (2018) The Man and His Legacy. Available At: http://sardarpatel.nvli.in/thematic-collections/man-and-his-legacy
Parikh, Narhari (1953) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Ahmedabad: Navjivan Press. Pp.477-80.
PIB (1950) Retrieved 2018) Officials Mourn Sardar’s Death. Press Information Bureau, Government of India, 16 December, 1950. Available At: https://web.archive.org/web/20171019213658/http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-12-15_621.pdf
PIB (2018) World-Wide Homage to Sardar Patel. Archives, Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Available At: https://web.archive.org/web/20171019214108/http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-12-18_628.pdf
Shankar, Vaidya (1974-75) My Reminiscences of Sardar Patel (Two Volumes, Ist Edition), New Delhi: Macmillan Co. of India.
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