Born: 31 October 1875, Nadiad, India
Died: 15 December 1950, Mumbai, India
Full name: Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel
Position: First Deputy Prime Minister of India
Award: Bharat Ratna
Named: Iron Man of India
Keywords: Politics, Unifier of India
Vallabhbhai Patel is an Indian independence movement activist who played a leading role in the country's struggle for independence.
He was the first Deputy Prime Minister of India.
A meeting with Gandhi, in October 1917 changed his viewpoint and he then decided to join the Indian independence struggle.
Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's relationship was very close. Sardar Patel's attachment with Gandhiji was such that after Gandhiji's death his health started declining and within two months he suffered a massive heart attack in which he could not survive.
His daughter Maniben Patel was freedom fighter and a member of Indian Parliament. She was also follower of Gandhiji's teaching and started working regularly at Sabarmati Ashram in 1918.
Patel effectively managed the integration of the princely states. The problem of amalgamating 562 independent states with a democratic self-governing India was a challenging task but it was essential to save India from balkanization, he thereafter carried the three-fold process of assimilation, centralization, and unification of states. The states were successfully amalgamated to form a union and it was merged with the Union of India.
Hence, he was called the ‘Iron Man of India.’
"His supreme sacrifice will quicken our conscience For even though his mortal frame will turn into ashes tomorrow, at 4 p.m., Gandhiji's imperishable teachings will abide with us. I even feel that Gandhiji's immortal spirit is still hovering over us and will continue to watch over the nation's destiny in future also. The mad youth who killed him was wrong if he thought thereby he was destroying his noble mission. Perhaps God wanted Gandhiji's mission to fulfil and prosper through his death.
" I am sure Gandhiji's supreme sacrifice will wake up the conscience of our countrymen and evoke a higher response in the heart of every Indian. I hope and pray that it may be given to us to complete Gandhiji's mission. At this solemn moment, no one of us can afford to waver or lose his or her heart. Let us all stand united and bravely face the national disaster that has overtaken us. Let us all solemnly pledge ourselves afresh to Gandhiji's teachings and ideals."
