Nation paid homage to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 64th death anniversary. He was one of the great social leaders of India. He played a crucial role during the freedom struggle of India and was instrumental in the integration of over 500 princely states into the Indian Union.
Despite the choice of the people, on the request of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel stepped down from the candidacy of Congress president. The election on that occasion eventually meant for the election of the first Prime Minister of independent India.
Vallabhbhai Patel was born on October 31, 1875 in Gujarat to Zaverbhai and Ladbai. Vallabhbhai, His father had served in the army of the Queen of Jhansi while his mother was a very spiritual man.
Starting his academic career in a Gujarati medium school Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and shifted to an English medium school.
In 1897, Vallabhbhai passed his high school examination and started preparing for law examination. 1910, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel went to England to study law. He completed his law studies in 1913 and came back to India and started his law practice.
For his Excellencies in Law, Vallabhbhai was offered many lucrative posts by the British Government but he rejected all. He was a staunch opponent of the British government and its laws and therefore decided not to work for the British.
He later started practicing at Ahmedabad. After a meeting with Mahatma Gandhi, at the Gujarat Club, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel got influenced by Gandhi’s words. Later, inspired by Gandhi’s work and philosophy Patel became a staunch follower of him.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tributes to the country’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his death anniversary, saying the nation will remain indebted to him forever.
“On his Punya Tithi (death anniversary), I pay my respects to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel,” Modi tweeted.
“India will forever be indebted to Sardar Patel for his tireless efforts to unite the Nation,” he added.
Known as the ‘Iron Man’ of India, Sardar Patel was instrumental in uniting the country through merger of small princely states. He died of cardiac arrest on this day in 1950.