Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel was born on 31 October 1875 at Nadiad in Gujarat in an agriculturist family. He did a course in Law and then moved to Borsad in 1902, a town in the Kheda district, to practice as a defense lawyer.

He fruitfully led Kheda Satyagraha and Bardoli revolt against the British government. He was elected as Ahmedabad's municipal President in 1922, 1924, and 1927 and was elected as Congress President in 1931. Sardar Patel was popularly known as 'Iron Man of India'. He played a leading role in the Indian freedom struggle and became the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India. He politically integrated India.

Vallabhbhai Patel's father's name was Jhaverbhai. He was a farmer and his mother's name was Laad Bai. She was a simple lady. Sardar Vallabhbhai received his early education in Karamsad. Later, he joined a school in Petlad. After two years he joined a high school in a town called Nadiad. He passed his high school examination in 1896. He was a bright student throughout his early life.

He did not have the monetary fund even to join a college. In those days an applicant could study in private and sit for an examination in Law. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel used to borrow books from a lawyer, his associate, and study at home. He seldom attended courts of Law and listened carefully to the arguments of lawyers. Vallabhbhai passed the Law examination with excellent marks. He started his law practice in Godhra.

He married Jhaberaba. In 1904, he got a baby daughter named Maniben and in 1905 his son Dahyabhai was born. When

Patel was only thirty-three years old his wife expired. He did not wish to marry again. Later, Vallabhbhai went to England and studied with strong determination and commitment and stood first in the Barrister-at-Law Examination.

In 1913, he came to India and started his own practice in Ahmedabad. Soon he became very famous. At the influence of his friends, in 1917, Patel contested and won elections to become the sanitation commissioner of Ahmedabad. He was highly influenced and extremely overwhelmed by Gandhiji's success in Champaran Satyagraha. In 1918, when there was a drought in the Kheda division of Gujarat, peasants requested the government to grant relief from the high rate of taxes but the British government refused it. Gandhiji took up peasant's cause but could not devote his complete time in Kheda. He was searching for someone who could guide the struggle in his absence. At this point, Sardar Patel came forward and lead the struggle. He gave up his profitable legal practice and joined public life.

Vallabhbhai successfully led a peasant revolt in Kheda. He pressurized the British government to agree to postpone the collection of revenue and decrease the rates. The 'Kheda Satyagraha' made Vallabhbhai Patel a national idol. He supported Gandhiji's non-cooperation movement and as a president of the Gujarat Congress, helped in organizing bonfires of British goods in Ahmedabad. He gave up his English clothes and started wearing Khadi. In 1928, Bardoli Taluka in Gujarat was highly affected by the flood and famine. In this hour of grief, the British government raised the revenue taxes by thirty percent. Sardar Patel took up the cause on behalf of the farmers and made an appeal to the Governor in order to reduce the taxes. The Governor refused and the government even announced the date of the collection of taxes. Sardar Patel organized the farmers and asked them not to pay taxes. The government tried to suppress the revolt but in the end, lost before Vallabhbhai Patel.

In 1930, Sardar Patel was imprisoned during Civil Disobedience Movement. After the signing of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact in 1931, Sardar Patel was released and was elected as the Congress president for its 1931 session in Karachi. On the failure of the Round Table Conference in 1932, Gandhiji and Sardar Patel were arrested and locked up in the Yeravada Central Jail. During this term of imprisonment, Sardar Patel and Mahatma Gandhi came close to each other and developed a close tie of affection, trust, and honesty. Sardar Patel was finally released in July 1934. In August 1942, Congress launched the Quit India Movement. The government locked up all the chief leaders of the Congress, as well as Vallabhai Patel. All the leaders were freed after three years.

After achieving independence on 15th August 1947, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of independent India and Sardar Patel became the Deputy Prime Minister. As the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India, he organized relief for refugees in Punjab and Delhi and took major steps to restore peace across the nation. He also played a vital role in unifying 565 semi-autonomous princely states and British-era colonial provinces to make one united India. On 15 December 1950, the 'Iron-Man' of India who had fulfilled the duties towards his countrymen passed away. Even today he is remembered as the "Patron Saint" of India's civil servants for establishing modern all-India services. India's freedom and his contribution towards consolidating the freedom of the country remain unrivaled.