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I’m a glass is half full person. While there are infinite possibilities or the fact that Sardar was the PM in an alternate universe, he has done his role in ensuring that the bleeding of India stopped during Partition (as much as possible) by integrating all the erstwhile princely states. Could he have lived longer and guided Nehru through the early years? Absolutely. But he could not. His life is an example of leading a nation through action and less of words which todays politicians seem to think is.
Another Congressman whom the Congress don’t remember…
friends,
see these links.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6WSRZvOuZ4
What a courage and a strong will!! He was real Patel with mettle!
He was a good practical man. He was fully aware of ugly side of humaman being. Both Gandhi and Nehru were naive, they thought of only good side of humanity and thought bad side did not exist.
We certainly haven’t forgotten him in my household. He was a great man and did much to help Bharat.
Jai
Do read PC Alexander on why “Patel is Indelible”
Shantanu,
PCA got to be kidding us. Ramchandra Guha and objectivity are as close as cloud and sunlight – they rarely match. For a guy who is trained in economics and sociology his contribution in those fields are meagre but not only he keeps writing “history” he also goes ahead and questions the objectivity of a historian who was trained and known to write things backed up by proper documentation.
On a lighter side, I hope you will enjoy this comedy that puts “Lauha Purush” in discussion with a man who can be considered to have taken the same ministry to it’s lowest point:
http://www.rameshsrivats.net/2008/12/shivraj-patil-versus-sardar-patel.html
Good write-up on Sardar Patel by Anirban Ganguly:
http://www.rediff.com/news/column/why-forgotten-sardar-patel-is-still-relevant-today/20121029.htm
In the Hyderabad matter, Nehru wanted Patel to appeal to UN rather than do what any sovereign state would have done. Report by Kumar Chellappan
http://janamejayan.wordpress.com/2012/10/31/revealed-nehru-wanted-to-scuttle-sardars-hyderabad-plan-kumar-chellappan/
Excerpt from History and the nationalist project by Dr SUBRAMANIAN SWAMY:
….my contempt for Nehru is no secret. I am clear that it is important to resize the stature that Nehru enjoys in Indian history in order to match the reality of his achievement.
For decades the Congress party has used its power to make Nehru appear as a giant rendering all other political personalities small before him. The fact is that the greatest achievements of the past 67 years of our recent history do not belong to Nehru or to his family — the credit for the integration of over 500 independent princely states in 1947-49 by their merger from what then was divided India to make it what it is today is due solely to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. After the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was merged with India on October 26, 1947, Nehru completely mishandled the territorial dispute issue by taking it to the U.N. and that too without Cabinet approval. The mess that Kashmir is in today can be attributed to Nehru’s lack of national vision. Yet Sardar Patel was not awarded the Bharat Ratna till 1991 when Chandra Shekhar as Prime Minister and I as his senior-most cabinet minister rectified the omission. Nehru had taken the Bharat Ratna for himself in 1955, the very next year after it was instituted as a national award. As a nation builder, Nehru was a complete failure.
Mr. Singh states in his article that Nehru’s contribution to the freedom struggle under Gandhiji’s leadership is unmatched, and that he was the Mahatma’s chosen person to lead free India. My answer to that would be until 1942 it was C. Rajagopalachari who was the chosen successor but he lost his credibility among the masses due to his acceptance of Jinnah’s demand for Pakistan. Also had Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose returned safely to India after his Japan visit, he would have become the Prime Minister of India.
With Netaji gone, Gandhiji took a vote of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents in 1946, and only one of the 16 PCC Presidents voted for Nehru. The other 15 voted for Sardar Patel. But Gandhiji asked Patel to withdraw in favour of Nehru for practical politics — to hasten British departure. History books of the future will record what the practical politics was, when all currently classified files are declassified.
Adding this here for the record:
Sardar Patel’s speech at Calcutta Maidan on 3rd January 1948. I have not verified the authenticity of the speech or the date & location.