SARDAR
VALLABHBHAI PATEL - MODERN HISTORY
News:
PM Modi pays tribute to Sardar Patel at
Statue of Unity in Gujarat
What's
in the news?
●
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral
tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat on the
birth anniversary of India's first Home Minister, which is celebrated as
National Unity Day.
About
Sardar Vallabhai Patel:
Early
life:
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Patel was largely self-taught, became a
lawyer, and was known for his precise legal skills. After losing his wife, he
went to London in 1910 to study law.
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After returning to India, he settled in
Ahmedabad and became a prominent criminal lawyer. In the initial years, he was
indifferent to Indian politics. But, later, he started getting influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, and by 1917
he embraced Gandhi’s principle of Satyagraha (Non-violence).
●
Patel played a key role in organizing mass
campaigns against British policies and served as the municipal commissioner and
president of Ahmedabad from 1917 to 1928.
Contributions
in Indian Independence Movement:
●
Kheda
Satyagraha, 1917: As a prominent local leader in the Kheda
district of Gujarat, the contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel lie in
supporting and assisting Mahatma Gandhi in organising and leading the
Satyagraha.
●
Non
Cooperation Movement 1920-22: He played a key role in
promoting the boycott of British goods in the region. He also organised
bonfires to burn British-made goods as a symbolic act of protest against
British colonial rule.
○
He advocated the use of Khadi as a symbol
of economic and cultural self-sufficiency.
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Bardoli
Satyagraha, 1928: The contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel in the Bardoli Satyagraha earned him the popular epithet ‘Sardar,’ which means ‘leader’ or
‘chief’.
■
During the Bardoli Satyagraha, Sardar
Patel stood in solidarity with the people of Bardoli who were suffering from
the devastating effects of famine along with the burden of increased land taxes
imposed by the British.
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Leadership
in Indian National Congress: The contributions of
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to the Indian National Congress. Patel was the president
of the Karachi Session, 1931.
○
It called upon to ratify the Gandhi-Irwin
Pact. This session is known for passing a resolution of Fundamental Rights.
○
In 1934, he assumed the role of the Chairman of the Central Parliamentary
Board.
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Civil
Disobedience Movement 1930-34: Sardar Patel actively
took part in the Salt Satyagraha, a nonviolent protest against the British
monopoly on salt production and distribution.
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Quit
India Movement, 1942: During the Quit India Movement of 1942,
Sardar Patel played a significant role in organising protests and strikes
against British rule.
Contributions
in freedom India:
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Integration
of Princely States: After India gained independence in 1947,
there were more than 560 princely states
that were not directly under British control. Sardar Patel was tasked with the
enormous challenge of integrating these princely states into the newly formed
Indian Union.
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Administrative
Reforms: Sardar Patel played a crucial role in creating a
unified administrative structure for the newly independent India.
○
He was instrumental in creation of the Indian Administrative
Service (IAS), which became the backbone of India’s civil services. He,
himself, called it the ‘steel frame’ of
India.
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Promotion
of National Integration: He promoted the idea of India as a
single nation, and emphasised that despite its diversity, the country must
stand united.
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31st
October is observed as National Unity Day, also known as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas
to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.