Vallabhbhai Patel
Education: Middle Temple
Spouse: Jhaverba Patel (m. ?–1909)
Awards: Bharat Ratna
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was known in India as the 'Man of
Steel'.
Vallabhbhai was born in Nadiad. It was a small village in
Gujarat. His father was Jhaverbhai Patel, and his mother Ladbai.
Jhaverbhai was a poor farmer. He was a strong and sturdy man. His
country and freedom were as dear to him as his own life. In 1857 the
people of India fought for their freedom. Jhaverbhai, who was then a
young man, fought bravely at that time. Vithalbhai, Vallabhbhai's
elder brother, was also a well-known patriot. He was the Chairman of
the Indian Legislative Council.
Once, when he was a small boy, Vallahbhai suffered from a boil
in the armpit. There was a man in the village who used to cure boils
by touching them with hot iron. The boy went to him. The man heated
the iron rod till it grew red. But he hesitated, seeing at the boy's
tender years.
"What are you waiting for? The iron will grow cold. Hurry up,
brand the boil," said the boy angrily.
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The man was even more frightened. The boy picked up the
glowing rod and burnt the boil. Those who watched him were
shocked and screamed. But there was not even a trace of pain in the
boy's face.
This amazing boy was born on the 31st of October 1875. (This
is the date generally accepted.) The elders were filled with pride and
joy at the fearlessness of the little boy; the younger ones loved and
admired him. No companion of his ever disobeyed him. By nature he
rebelled against injustice. He showed a genuine interest in the
welfare of his companions, constantly Enquirer about their needs and
problems helped them as best he could, and promoted friendship and
unity.
Vallabhbhai's early education was in Karamsad. Then he joined
a school in Petlad. After two years he joined a high school in a town
called Nadiad. A teacher of this school used to sell the books, which
the pupils needed. He used to force all the pupils to buy books only
from him. If any boy bought books from others, the teacher used to
tease him.Vallabhbhai thought that this was wrong. He spoke to his
companions, and saw to it that not a single pupil attended the
classes. For a whole week the school could not work. The teacher
had to correct himself.
When he was in Petlad he used to cook for himself. Every week
he used to carry provisions from home, walking the entire distance.
He could have gone by train, but he did not have the money to buy a
ticket.
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During his school days, one day a teacher made a mistake in
working a sum. Vallabhbhai pointed out the error. The teacher was
very angry and said, "All right, you be the teacher." The boy replied,
"Very well, sir." He worked the sum correctly, and sat down in the
teacher's chair!
Vallabhbhai first chose Sanskrit. Then he changed to Gujarati.
Sanskrit was dearer to the teacher who taught Gujarati than his own
subject. When Vallabhbhai entered his class, the teacher wanted to
taunt him, and said, "Welcome, great man!" Poor man, he did not
know that the boy would one day become a very great man.
He asked the boy, in anger, "Why did you give up Sanskrit and
choose Gujarati?"
Vallabhbhai answered, "If every one chooses Sanskrit, you will
have no work."
The teacher was in a rage. He complained to the headmaster.
Vallabhbhai narrated to the headmaster all that had happened. The
headmaster said, "I have not seen such a bold pupil." This made the
teacher even more bitter. Vallabhbhai, too, did not wish to remain in
that school. He went back. He studied at home and passed the
examination.
Vallabhbhai's cherished ambition was to become a barrister.
But in order to realize this ambition, he had to continue his studies in
England. But his family was in utter poverty. He did not have enough
money evens to join a college in India.
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In those days a candidate could study in private and sit for an
examination in Law. Vallabhbhai's brother, Vithalbhai, also was a
lawyer. He attended coaching classes before entering himself for the
examination. But Vallabhbhai did not even attend coaching classes.
He borrowed books from the lawer of his acquaintance and studied
their judgements.Occasionally he attended courts of law. He studied
their judgments. He listened attentively to the arguments of lawyers.
He observed keenly lawyers of all types - the timid ones, the dashing
ones and the skillful ones. He listened to them all.
Vallabhbhai passed the examination.
Vallabhbhai had absolutely no facilities to begin practice of law.
He borrowed some money from his friends and hired a room in a
town called Godhra. He furnished it with a couple of chairs, and also
mats for those who wished to squat on the floor.
Before long clients were attracted to this enthusiastic young
man. If he took up a subject, Vallabhbhai made a thorough study of it.
In a short time Vallabhbhai made a name as a very eminent
lawyer. By then he was married. Two children were born - a daughter,
Manibehn, and a son, Dhayabhai. Vallabhbhai's wife fell ill, and he
sent her to Bombay for treatment.
As Vallabhbhai wished to become a barrister, he was saving
money and making preparations to go to England. He wrote a letter to
a travel agency about his trip to England. By chance it fell into the
hands of Vithalbhai. He told Vallabhbhai, "I shall go to England first;
you can go later."
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Without the slightest hesitation Vallabhbhai agreed. "Take it
that my money and my ticket are yours. Make use of them gladly.
And if you need money in England write to me. I shall send you the
money," he told his brother.
Vithalbhai's wife was not a woman who would easily adopt
herself to circumstances. She was worded; what was she to do if her
husband went abroad? Who would look after her? Vallabhbhai said,
"Come and stay with us till my brother returns. Think of my house as
yours."
Three years passed, and the elder brother returned from
England.
One day Vallabhbhai had to appear in a very important case.
He was arguing before the judge with the almost concentration. He
was still on his feet when an urgent telegram was handed to him. He
glanced at the contents and folded and put the paper in his pocket,
and went on with the argument. It was only after he concluded his
speech and sat down that even those near him learnt the contents of
the telegram -his wife was dead!
Vallabhbhai had read the news -and had gone on with his
arguments as if nothing had happened. Such was his sense of duty.
All through his life, troubles never discouraged him. With a will of iron
he completed whatever task he had under taken.
Patel was only thirty-three years old when his wife died. He did
not wish to marry again.
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After his brother's return, Vallabhbhai went to England. He
studied with single-minded devotion. The glitter and luxury of
fashionable life did not tempt him. The library was at a distance of
eleven miles from his lodging. Every morning he walked to the library,
and walked back in the evening. He stood first in the Barrister-at-Law
Examination.
As soon as he returned to India, Vallabhbhai set up practice as
a barrister at Ahmedabad. Day by day his fame and his influence
grew. The elder brother, Vithalbhai, said, "You look after the family; I
shall work, for the country."
"Yes," said Vallabhbhai. At the time he was earning eight to ten
thousand rupees a month. He spent his leisure hour’s playing cards
in a local club. He dressed like the English. He was not at all
interested in politics. He sometimes laughed at Satyagraha
(nonviolent non-cooperation) and service to the country as dreams of
crazy fellows.
Gradually the spell of Gandhiji spread all over Gujarat. It
changed Vallabhbhai's life, too. Gandhiji attended the Political
Conference at Godhra. He and Vallabhbhai met at that time, and
soon became friends.
Patel was very fond of children, but he was never given to an
exhibition of his affection. When Manibehn shyly asked him, "How are
you, father?" he made a brief answer: "I am all right."
Dhayabhai sometimes tried to engage his father in
conversation; but Vallabhbhai seldom responded.
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Gandhiji entered Patel's home, too. He was like a father to the
two children.
The training and refinement she received inculcated several
good qualities in Manibehn. Love of simple life and good habits
developed in her. When public life imposed a severe strain on her
father she devoted herself to his service. She became his private
secretary, took care of his health, and found joy and fulfillment in
serving him. She was convinced that she could best serve the
country by sharing his burden to the best of her ability.
In 1918 heavy rains destroyed the crops in Gujarat. The
farmers in Kaira District were particularly in distress. The Government
demanded the payment of the revenue taxes to the last pie. The
farmers turned to Gandhiji as their refuge.
Gandhiji said, "I need some one who will assume the entire
responsibility for this struggle."
"I shall be responsible," said Vallabhbhai Patel, and assumed
the leadership of the struggle. He infused the peasants with courage,
saying, "Why are you afraid of the English? If the people are united
no government can do anything." He gave up his western clothes,
and began to dress like the poor and humble peasants. He walked
from village to village along rough tracks full of stones and thorns and
brought about unity among the farmers. The farmers were filled with
reverence and admiration for this prominent barrister from
Ahmedabad who toiled for them day and night. One word from him,
and they were ready to lay down their lives for him. So the
government had to yield finally. The taxes were remitted. The
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struggle led by Patel was successful. In June 1918 the farmers
celebrated their victory. They invited Gandhiji and presented him with
an address.
Said Gandhiji, "The credit of this victory should go to
Vallabhbhai Patel. You are fortunate to be led, by such a great hero."
Patel said with modesty, "The people of Kaira District have
fought with courage and endurance. Theirs is the honor of this
triumph."
Vallabhbhai lived up to his ideals. In 1920 the Congress Party
passed a resolution on non-cooperation; it resolved not to cooperate
with the foreign government in any way. Patel gave up his practice as
a barrister, which used to bring him thousands of rupees every
month. He asked people not to send their children to schools run by
the government. He founded the Gujarat Vidyapeetha to educate the
children to grow up to be patriots. He collected lakhs of rupees for
this institution and built it up.
In 1923 the government ordered that no one should carry the
tricolored flag in any road in Nagpur where government officers lived.
Who could object to the display of our flag in our country? The people
decided to disobey this offensive order. They invited Vallabhbhai
Patel to guide them. As soon as he arrived the struggle grew more
spirited. Satyagrahis began to pour in from other parts of the country.
The agitation went on for three and a half months. Finally the
government withdrew the order, and the satyagraha ended in a
victory for the people.
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The people of Borsad Taluk were subjected to great suffering at
that time. A dacoit, Babar by name, and his gang began to indulge in
murder and looting. A police force arrived to put him down. But the
police became as much a menace as the robbers. They frightened
the people and took away money, jewels and grains. In the
meanwhile the government imposed a new tax on the people to meet
the expenses of the police force. (This kind of tax is called punitive
tax'.) This was adding insult to injury. The people grounded under the
burden.
In this hour of distress Vallabhbhai raced to the rescue of the
people. He formed a team of young volunteers from the neighboring
villages for protection from the bandits. As soon as these young men
swung into action the dacoit disappeared.
Patel told the Government: "We do not want your police force
here; and we are not going to pay the new tax." The officers of the
government tried to frighten the people in a number of ways. But their
tricks were of no use. The government had to withdraw its order
tamely. Vallabhbhai's fame spread to every nook and corner of India.
That year the rains played havoc in Gujarat. There were floods
everywhere. The roads were under water. Thousands of houses were
washed away. Lakes of people lost everything. Vallabhbhai came to
their rescue. His efforts brought 2,000 volunteers together. They
supplied food and clothes to those that had suffered vowing to the
floods and looked after them.
But their services were still needed. Hardly had the floods
subsided when a terrible famine broke out. The farmers had no oxen,
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and no seeds; how were they to till the land? People were in utter
despair. Patel drew the attention of the government to the sufferings
of the people. He argued that the government collected taxes from
the people, and therefore, it was the duty of the government to help
them in their distress. So forceful was his demand that finally the
government had to spend fifteen million rupees to help those in the
famine stricken areas. Patel organized the relief works very efficiently
so that the money was used properly. The world realized that he was
not only a great fighter but also a superb organizer.
Bardoli is a Taluk in Gujarat. The people of this Taluk were in
sheer distress, having suffered because of the floods and the famine.
But, in this hour of distress, the foreign government raised the
revenue taxes by thirty percent. The people did not know what to do.
They went to Patel and said, "You are our only hope."
Said Patel, "If you oppose the government your sufferings will
multiply. You will lose your lands and houses, The Government will
do its best to crush you. You will not have a grain of rice or a drop of
milk, and the women and the children will suffer sheer misery.
Consider well. If you are confident that you have the grit to face all
this, let us fight."
"We are ready. We will die rather than bow to injustice," said
the farmers.
First of all, Patel wrote to the Governor, and appealed to him to
reduce the taxes. But he turned a deaf ear to Patel. The Government
even announced the date of the collection of the taxes.
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"No one shall pay a pie as tax," Patel instructed the farmers.
The bugles of war sounded.
Patel divided Bardoli District into several zones. Each zone had
a center, and a leader and some volunteers manned each center.
There were messengers to carry messages from one center to
another. Patel also appointed spies to report on the movements of
Government officials.
"We shall use all our powers and crush the agitation," declared
the Governor of Bombay. The Government sent ruffians to frighten
the villagers.
The ruffians would enter villages and beat up the villagers.
They used to force their way into houses and carry away grain, goods
and money. They insulted the women. But the farmers refused to
yield. They did not pay a single pie.
The government began to auction the houses and the lands.
But not a single man came forward to buy them. Vallabhbhai had
appointed volunteers in every village to keep watch. As soon as he
sighted the officials who were coming to auction the property, the
volunteer would sound his bugle. The farmers would leave the village
and hide in the jungles. The officials would find the entire village
empty. They could never find out who owned a particular house.
Patel was with the villagers all day and night, and infused
courage in them.
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"If you still have a shred of fear," he told them, "throw it to the
bottom of the well. It is the government which is now frightened, not
we."
"I, too, am a farmer," said Patel. "I know the mind of the
farmers. I want that the farmers should be respected and am able to
hold their heads erect. I can have peace of mind only when that is
achieved."
Patel learnt that some rich men were coming from cities to buy
the lands of the farmers, which were being auctioned. "I am the
Sardar (chief) in Gujarat," declared Patel; "let them come, I know
what to do." There was total social boycott of those who bought the
lands. The rich men who had come from, outside could not get a
grain of rice or a drop of water, and were glad to escape alive.
Several members of the Bombay Legislative Assembly
opposed the unjust policies of the government and resigned.
Government, too, lost heart. The people's agitation triumphed.
Vallabhbhai came to be known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The
farmers of Bardoli presented him with an address and praised his
greatness and leadership. In reply Patel said: "It was Mahatma
Gandhi who gave me the herb of Satyagraha. All that I did was to
administer the medicine. And you strictly followed that doctor's
instructions. So all that you have said in praise of me in your address
should belong to him and to you; all that remains for me is the blank
sheet of paper. The prosperity of the country is in the hands of the
youth. Do not forget - in every country it is the young who have won
and consolidated freedom, and passed it on to later generations."
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All India now knew Patel as the Sardar.
Sardar's fiery words provoked the British Government. It sent
him to prison twice in 1930. But this only increased his influence.
Sardar Patel was elected President of the Karachi Session of the
National Congress, which met in 1931. In his speech Patel declared
in unmistakable words, "Swaraj (independence) is our goal. There
cannot be the slightest modification of that goal." The government
was even more infuriated, and sent him to prison again. He was freed
only in 1934.
The Sardar's experiences in the prison make interesting
reading. He was treated as an ordinary prisoner. There was only one
lavatory in the prison. Every morning the prisoners had to queue up
for their turn. And they had to wait in another queue for water. There
was no secluded place where they could pass urine. The food served
in the prison was rotten. But nothing could dishearten the Sardar.
The officials of the prison loved to give the prisoners pinpricks.
Some friends gave the Sardar as presents a few articles for his use in
the prison. Among them was a razor. The officials would not let Patel
have it. Finally Patel protested.
Patel said, "Why not give me the razor and let me shave all the
prisoners? That will give me some work to do, and I can spend
sometime."
Everyone including the clerks who heard him burst into
laughter.
Page 13 of 20Sardar Patel
Patel's faith in God and in religion was not obvious to outward
view, but when he was in prison he got copies of the Bhagavad- Gita
and the Ramayana through the authorities of the prison. He studied
and pondered on them every day.
Elections to the Legislatures of Provinces were held in 1937.
The Sardar was the Chairman of the Congress Parliamentary Board.
Under his stewardship the Congress secured a majority of seats in
eight provinces and formed ministries. The reins of all of them were in
the hands of the Sardar. He unhesitatingly took to task any minister
who did wrong.
In 1942 the Congress called on the British to quit India. It
started what came to be known as the 'Quit India Movement' or the
'Chalejav Movement'. The government jailed all the important leaders
of the Congress, including Sardar Patel. Patel fell ill in the prison. The
government would not allow his doctor to examine him in the prison.
All the leaders were released after three years. At the time the
Muslim League went on creating complications, and made the
achievement of freedom more difficult. Patel declared, "We shall fight
all those who come in the way of India's freedom."
Freedom dawned on the 15th of August 1947. Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of independent
India. Sardar Patel became the Deputy Prime Minister. He was in
charge of Home Affairs, Information and Broadcasting and the
Ministry of States.
There were more than 600 states in India at that time. Except a
few they were small states.Some of the Maharajas and Nawabs who
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ruled over these were sensible and patriotic. But most of them were
drunk with wealth and power. They were dreaming of becoming
independent rulers once the British quit India. They argued that the
government of free India should treat them as equals. Some of them
went to the extent of planning to send their representatives to the
United Nations Organization.
If these states had not become a part of free India there would
have been many problems. India would have had to take their
permission for trains to pass through their states. If inter-state rivers
flowed through these states, India would have had to seek their
permission to use the waters. Their permission would have been
needed to build dams. And, in the event of a war between India and
any other country, how would these 600 states behave? Whom would
they support? It was impossible to tell. These 600 states would have
been 600 sores in the body of India.
"if we unite, we can soon make this country prosperous. Come
and join us. Cooperate with us," so Sardar invited the rulers even
before Independence Day. He also warned them: "If you do not join
us before the 15th of August, thereafter the position will be different.
You may not then get the consideration and the concessions
you now get." Patel also met a number of rulers and held discussions
with them. As a result, a number of patriotic rulers joined the Indian
Union.
But the rulers of Junagadh and Hyderabad were plotting
secretly to Join Pakistan.
Page 15 of 20Sardar Patel
Patel sent an army under Brigadier Gurudayalsimha to the
border of Junagadh to deal with Pakistan. The people of the state
who wished to join India rebelled against the ruler and set up a
People's Government. The Nawab, who had tried to betray the
people, ran away. Patel reached Junagadh on the 12th of November
1947. In the course of a speech there, he warned that the Nizam of
Hyderabad would share the fate of the Nawab of Junagadh if he did
not behave sensibly.
But the Nizam was slow to learn thelesson. He sent millions of
rupees to Pakistan.One of his men, Kasim Razvi by name, began to
harass the Hindus. His gang was called the Razakars. They tried to
drive the Hindus out of Hyderabad. There was no limit to their crimes.
They tried to get arms and ammunition from outside.
Finally Sardar Patel sent some forces under General Chowdury
to undertake 'Police Action'. Within five days the Nizam was forced to
surrender. Kasim Razvi ran away to Pakistan. The atrocities of the
Razakars came to an end and peace returned to Hyderabad. The firm
policy of Sardar Patel, the Man of Steel, crushed all the plots against
India.
A similar problem arose in Kashmir. The Maharaja and the
Legislative Assembly decided that the state should join India. But the
Pakistan army forcibly occupied two-fifths of Kashmir. The Ministry
was handling the Kashmir question for Foreign Affairs and there was
nothing Patel could do.
Sardar Patel was a man of remarkable foresight. In 1962 China
sent her army across the border and India reeled under the blow.
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This is the saddest episode in the history of Free India. But as long
back as on the 7th of November 1950, Patel wrote a letter to
Jawaharlal Nehru and declared that China was not to be trusted. He
wrote: 'The Government of China speaks of its desire for peace and
is trying to mislead us. Hereafter, in planning the defense of our
country, we must remember the intentions of Communist, China.'
Five weeks later Patel passed away. About twelve years after
his death China attacked India.
Many people misunderstood Patel. There was false
propaganda that he did not like Muslims. On the 6th of January 1948,
speaking in Lucknow, he said, "There is a cry that I am against
Muslims. But I am their true friend. I cannot beat about the bush. I
cannot dissemble. Let no one try to have his two feet in two different
boats. Let every one choose one boat. Let us all, who belong to India,
swim or sink together."
The Sardar's plain words made some people angry. They
complained to Gandhiji. What Sardar Patel said at that time shows
the superbself-confidence of this mighty man:
"I cannot speak anything but the truth. I cannot turn back on my
duty, just to please some one."
The 30th of January 1948, was a dark day in the history of
India. An evil man killed Gandhiji on that day. Gandhiji was like an
elder brother and a Guru to Patel. They had been put in the same jail
several times.
Page 17 of 20Sardar Patel
Gandhiji has said of their days in prison, "Vallabhbhai's
affection for me reminded me of my mother. Before that time I had
not realized that such a tender, affectionate heart was hidden in him."
Sardar Patel undertook several measures to uphold the
greatness of India. The sight of the great Somanatha Temple
practically in ruins because of the repeated attacks of foreigners was
most painful to him. He undertook the renovation of that temple. He
made it the symbol of the power and the victory of resurgent India
who had shaken off the slavery of centuries and felt a new energy
throbbing in her veins. It was from him that Kania Lal Munshi got the
inspiration to found the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Bombay.
Once the engine of the airplane in which he was travelling
failed, and the vehicle had to make a forced landing on the bank of a
river at a distance of about thirty miles from Jaipur. The Delhi Airport
had lost all contact with the airplane. For about four hours Delhi did
not know what had happened. But luckily the Sardar was safe.
Two days later the Sardar entered the Lok Sabha. Forgetting all
rules the members greeted him with cries of 'Sardar Patel Jindabad'.
The Speaker congratulated the Sardar who was unhurt and
said, "The misery and the anxiety of the entire nation until news came
that he was safe show what a place he has won in the hearts of the
people."
Eight days later the members ofParliament got up a function to
felicitate him.
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Even in his old age the Sardar was sobusy that he did not have
a moment's rest. He had to tour extensively all over the country this
affected his health. He passed away in Bombay on the morning of the
15th of December 1950. The General of Bardoli, the Lion of Gujarat,
India's Man of Steel, the Sardar of the country's fight for freedom, the
Mighty Architect of the integrity of India, the Vallabhbhai Patel of rock-
like will power, was no more.
He was then seventy-five.
Prime Minister Nehru said, "His name will live for ever in
history. He is the Architect of. Modern India. He was a wise counselor
in the hour of trial, a trustworthy friend and a mine of courage and
inspiration."
Patel was known as the Man of Steel. But tenderness was very
much alive in the steel of his nature. He looked after not only Gandhiji
but also other friends like Kania Lal Munshi with the affection of a
mother, when they were all in prison. He did not believe in making
speeches. He was a man of very few words. He accepted with a calm
mind whatever life brought him- happiness or sorrow. Pain and
sorrow could not alter a single line of his face. When necessary he
could be dominating; but by nature he was very courteous. After the
Bardoli Satyagraha he became famous all over India. When he went
to attend the Congress Session he forgot to take his pass with him.
The volunteers stopped him. He went back. Next day thevolunteers
understood who he was, and were ashamed. But Patel was not at all
displeased.
Page 19 of 20Sardar Patel
It is a hundred years since this hero, the Sardar, was born. Let
us remember him with reverence and bow to him. Let us emulate his
admirable qualities.
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