Young Age
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was born on 31 October 1875 in a small village of Gujarat. As Patel’s father was a farmer by profession, Patel grew up in a simple environment devoid of luxuries. He helped his father in the fields and studied at the NK High School, Petlad. Throughout school, he was a very wise and intelligent student. In spite of poor financial conditions, his । father wanted to send him to college but Vallabhbhai refused. For about three years he stayed at home, worked hard, and prepared for the District Leader’s examination, hence passing with a very good percentage.
Adult Life
Patel hated to work for anyone, especially the Britishers. He was a person of independent nature. Soon he started his own practice of law in a place Called Godhara which flourished in no time. He saved money and made financial arrangement for the entire family, After gaining self-sufficiency and financial, Patel his Childhood pride with him to start his married life. In 1904, he got a baby daughter Manibel, and in 1905, his son Dahya was born.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel sent his elder brother to England for higher studies in law. In 1908. Vitthal Bhai (Patel’s elder brother’) returned as a barrister and started practicing in Bombay. In 1909, Patel’s wife become Seriously. ill and was taken to Bombay for treatment. Vallabh Bhai had to go for the hearing of an urgent case and his wife died. He was stunned. He admitted his children to St Mary’s School Bombay and left for England. He became a barrister and returned to India in 1913.
Freedom Fighter Life
Around 1915, he came across Mahatma Gandhi when the Swadeshi Movement was at its peak. Gandhiji gave a lecture at a place in Ahmedabad where Patel heard him and was very impressed and started actively participating in the freedom movement. The British government’s atrocities increased. The government declared to confiscate all the lands of farmers. It was Patel who forced the British Government to amend the rules. He brought together the farmers and encouraged them to fight the move of the British and hence acquired the title of ‘Sardar’.
The British Government considered him a threat and his lectures were considered anti-government and he was imprisoned several times. In 1942, he took part in the Quit India Movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and was arrested along with other leaders.
At the time of Independence & After
At the time of independence, when India was to be divided into two nations, it was Sardar Patel who successfully obtained accession from the ‘Nawabs’ of Hyderabad and Junagadh respectively, who wanted to join Pakistan. Hence, Patel played an instrumental role in integrating present-day India using frank diplomacy and military action,
As the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India, Patel organized relief for refugees in Punjab and Delhi, and led efforts to restore peace across the nation, Hailed as the Iron Man of India, he is also remembered as the ‘Patron Saint’ of India’s civil servants for establishing modern all-India services. Patel was also one of the earliest proponents of property rights and free in India.
Vallabhbhai Patel’s leadership enabled the accession of almost every princely state. Sardar Patel vehemently Opposed Nehru move Of taking Kashmir issue to the United Nations and advised him against it. patel’s health began declining rapidly in 1950’s when personalised medical staff was arranged to attend to him daily. His daughter, Maniben , in response to his worsening medical conditions, restricted his official meetings and engagements.
The Last Days
After suffering a massive heart attack, Sardar Patel left the world on 15 December 1950 at Birla House in Bombay. In an unprecedented and unrepeated gesture, on the day after his death, more than 1500 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.