Mains Practice Questions

Approach

• Give a brief introduction about Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• Discuss his role in India’s freedom struggle.
• Discuss his role in post-independence.
• Conclude accordingly.

Introduction

• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India.
• He is recognized as the real unifier of India for his colossal contribution to integrate and make India a united and an independent nation.
  • He requested the people of India to live together by uniting in order to create Shresth Bharat.
  • This ideology is still reflected in the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative which seeks to make India Self-Reliant.
• He is also remembered as the ‘Patron saint of India’s civil servants’ as he established the modern all-India services system which is also known as steel frame of modern India.

Body

• Role in freedom struggle:
  • He integrated the farmer’s cause in Kheda Satyagraha (1918) and Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) with the national freedom movement.
    • Women of Bardoli bestowed the title ‘Sardar’ on Vallabhbhai Patel, which means ‘a Chief or a Leader’.
  • During the 1930 Salt Satyagraha (prayer and fasting movement), Sardar Patel served three months imprisonment.
  • In March 1931 Patel presided over the Karachi session (46^th session) of the Indian National Congress which was called upon to ratify the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
  • Further, He worked extensively against alcohol consumption, untouchability, caste discrimination and for women emancipation in Gujarat and outside.
• Contribution in Post-Independence India:
  • Role in Framing Constitution: He headed various Committees of the Constituent Assembly of India, namely:
    • Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights.
    • Committee on Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas.
    • Provincial Constitution Committee.
  • Integration of the Princely States:
    • Sardar Patel played a key role in the integration of about 565 princely states into the Indian Union.
      • Few princely states like Travancore, Hyderabad, Junagadh, Bhopal, and Kashmir were averse to joining the state of India.
      • Sardar Patel worked tirelessly to build a consensus with the princely states but did not hesitate in employing methods of Sama, Dama, Dand and Bhed wherever necessary.
    • He had used force to annex princely states of Junagadh ruled by Nawab and Hyderabad ruled by Nizam, both of whom had wished not to merge their respective states with the Union of India.

Conclusion

• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel stitched the princely states along with British Indian territory and prevented the balkanization of India.
  • He is known as the “Iron Man of India” for playing an important role in unification and integration of Indian princely states into the Indian federation and for convincing princely states to align with the Indian Union.