Even today 66 years after his death, the first Deputy Prime Minister of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, continues to be the Hero of Indian people. His birthday is celebrated on 31st October, though he himself confessed to have “plucked a date (31.10.1875) straight out of his fancy” while filling his application form for the Matriculation exam, where he failed once like his elder brother Vitthalbhai Patel, the first Indian President of the Central Legislative Assembly of India. After the Sardar-fan Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India in May 2014, Patel’s birthday is celebrated as National Unity Day all over India. A well-known Historian and Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Rajmohan Gandhi mentions April 30, 1876, or May 7, 1876, as the probable date of Vallabhbhai’s date of birth in “Patel: A Life”, the latest research-based biography of Sardar Patel.
Not just emotionally, but even factually and historically too, Patel deserved to be the first Prime Minister of India, though he never aspired to be and never made any complaint about Jawaharlal Nehru being made the PM, thanks to Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation. On April 20, 1946, Gandhiji was clear about his choice. He wrote to Maulana Azad: “In today’s circumstances, I would, if asked, prefer Jawaharlal. I have many reasons for this. Why go into them?”
Gandhiji thought a Harrow boy, a Cambridge graduate and a Barrister Nehru was better known in international arena and was the right person to negotiate with Englishmen. He rather suspected Nehru of splitting Congress and forming a separate group in the transitional period and Bapu was not prepared to take the risk. Gandhiji saw both the leaders as partners: “They will be like two oxen yoked to the government cart. One will need the other and both will pull together.” Even the last British Viceroy and Governor General Lord Mountbatten “recognised Sardar’s greatness,” states Maniben, the daughter and secretary of Vallabhbhai, describing how Mountbatten was averse to relieving Patel from the Nehru Cabinet even on January 30, 1948, the day Gandhiji was shot dead. At the same time she holds Mountbatten’s advice to Nehru to shift to the former Commander-in-General’s house at Teen Murti Marg, responsible for widening the divide between the two leaders, as earlier when Nehru used to live at York Road closer to Patel’s 1, Aurangzeb Road “they used to meet everyday” and “these daily meetings and talks cleared misunderstandings but the dialogue became very difficult after Nehru moved to Teen Murti Marg.”
Patel loved Nehru like a younger brother or son while calling him “My Leader” and “Most popular leader among the youth of India”. He was devoted to Nehru but had certain differences with him about the approach. The Nehru coterie created his image as if he was against Nehru and “rustic and stubborn” Patel knew little about the international affairs, whereas the fact was otherwise. Patel was a Barrister from London (Middle Temple) like Gandhiji (Inner Temple ) and Nehru (Inner Temple). He gave up practising law and his British attire on joining Gandhiji in the national freedom struggle. He could have become the Boss of the Congress and the Prime Minister of India. He always maintained simplicity. Unlike Gandhi and Nehru, he preferred to “create history rather than wasting time writing it.”
While writing the Introduction for the 10 volumes on Sardar Patel’s Correspondence edited by Durga Das, the Patel-loyalist Chief Editor of Hindustan Times, Maniben, makes it clear: “The Sardar did not aspire to primeministership or any other high office.” Patel was keen to be a Sanyasi (Sage), renouncing everything in Indian tradition, after Independence, he told Gandhiji once. While his views on foreign affairs are ignored, Patel is known for the herculean task of integrating 565 Princely States into the Indian Union.
One month before his death, Patel had written a long letter cautioning PM Nehru about China. In the historic letter of November 7, 1950, to Nehru, Patel had discussed the dangerous China’s design following the entry of Chinese military forces into Tibet. He did give his judgement on the future actions of China. Patel was proven right after 12 years when China attacked India after grabbing Tibet.
When Nehru shared with Patel the news of C Rajagopalachari, popularly called Rajaji, the first Indian Governor General of India, joining the Union cabinet, Patel immediately reacted: “Rajaji can be a very good External Affairs Minister.” Nehru did not like it because he always wanted foreign affairs ministry with him only, considering it as his permanent prerogative. And in 1962 when China attacked India, PM Nehru was at a loss remembering the warning Patel had given him in 1950! He could not digest the shock. His health began to decline and despite spending months recuperating in Kashmir through 1963, Nehru died of a paralytic stroke and a heart attack in May 1964, paving the way for his loyalist Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Next Column: Junagadh State: Somnath, Nawab and Accession
(The writer is a Socio-political Historian. E-mail: [email protected])
