“Sardar’s body is being consumed by fire, but no fire on earth can consume his fame. We grieve for ourselves, not for him.” The President of India Dr Rajendra Prasad, along with PM Jawaharlal Nehru and elder statesman C Rajgopalachari, “wept unashamedly beside the pyre” as Prasad spoke of the Sardar at Sonapur, Mumbai, on December 15, 1950, when the destiny took Vallabhbhai Patel away from all of them.
PM Nehru asked Prasad to be in Delhi being the President but Rajendrababu preferred to put the protocols aside since it was the end of an era.
None can evaluate what the Sardar has done for the country and countrymen. As his devoted daughter Maniben puts it: His philosophy of life may be summed up in the words: “Why not create history rather than waste time writing it?” Vallabhbhai did not aspire to be the Prime Minister and never ever complained anybody of he being deprived of his rightful claim to be the first Prime Minister of India. He died at the age of 74 since his date of birth, though officially October 31, 1875, might be April 30, 1876, or May 7, 1876, as suggested by historian Rajmohan Gandhi, his biographer.
From a Karamsad ploughboy to a Barrister from Middle Temple, London, to the first Deputy Prime Minister of India, he would have preferred to identify himself as only a “lieutenant” of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of Nation. All other adjectives become unimportant for him. Sardar Patel had certain differences even with the Mahatma like he had with Nehru, but the interest of the nation was always first and foremost. None can think of the freedom movement of India without the bonding of the Trinity i.e. Gandhi, Nehru and Sardar. They created history and after their departure, the politicians, historians and analysts may be busy deriving conclusions of their own choice.
The integration of nearly 565 Princely States into the Dominion of India became a reality because of the Sardar and his team. There was no blame-game but unified efforts for building up a strong and unified India. Merely the geographical territory would not make it possible. Even before the British left, Patel thought it necessary in 1946 to establish the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and arranged for the Constitutional safeguards for the civil servants both the ICS, who were to be with Indian Government Service, and the new IAS entrants as well. As the Home Minister, he appropriately opined that the officers who were in the services must be provided Constitutional guarantees and safeguards. Sardar Patel never wanted a spineless bureaucracy. In the wider interest of the nation, the bureaucracy must be fearless and committed to the country's interests. He never expected “Yes, Minister” tendency.
On October 10, 1949, while participating in the Constituent Assembly debate, the Deputy PM was quite blunt in stating: “If you want an efficient all-India service, I advise you to allow the services to open their mouth freely. If you are a Premier, it would be your duty to allow your Secretary or Chief Secreatary, or other Services working under you, to express their opinion without fear or favour. But I see a tendency today that in several provinces the Services are set upon and told, 'No, you are servicemen, you must carry out our orders'. The Union will go – you will not have a united India, if you have not a good all-India service which has the independence to speak out its mind, which has a sense of security that you will stand by your word and that after all there is the Parliament, of which we can be proud, where their rights and privileges are secure. If you do not adopt this course, then do not follow the present Constitution.”
The Sardar always practised what he preached. “Today, my Secretary can write a note opposed to my views. I have given that freedom, to all my Secretaries. I have told them, ‘If you do not give your honest opinion for fear that it will displease your Minister, please then you better go. I will bring another Secretary.’ I will never be displeased over a frank expression of opinion.”
With the acceptance of supreme authority of the Constitution, Patel referred bureaucracy as a custodian of the national interests. He observed that the officers from all-India Services were obedient to ensure corruption-free administration but was not in favour to protect corrupt officers. He never tolerated any individual member of the Service ‘misbehaving or erring in his duty or committing a dereliction of his duties'. It is time for the present day rulers and bureaucrats to introspect without giving any excuse. There is a need to give a thought as to why the Sardar, a confirmed “friend of Capitalists, Workers and Muslims”, continues to be a National Hero!
Next Column: Navnirman Agitation that changed the destiny of India
(The writer is a Socio-political Historian. E-mail: [email protected])
