3 February 2014

Personality of Sardar Patel Distinctive Attributes

All the Indians are proud of their most lovable and most adorable hero, the greatest patriot, pragmatist to the core, a formidably awe inspiring and a towering personality who commanded respect and total devotion from all whether he was a bureaucrat, or an army General, British or Indian or a political leader. He was a real Sardar of our country. As such, I shall not add any word of my own though I would love to and consider a great honour to peg my heart felt impressions about him. I shall refrain from doing so and rather present before my readers the views of his contemporaries who have been the great sons of the soil or the research scholars thereafter. 

Sh. V. Shanker, the then political secretary to Sardar Patel has said “It was only when I came in to closer association with Sardar that I realized his strength and influence over his colleagues including the Prime Minister; his lightening decisions, his definite views, his intensely practical out look, his uncanny gift of sizing up men and situations. His keen sense of strategy, his power of anticipation and the difficulty of his opponents in catching him on the wrong foot” (1) and that “psychologically, pt. Nehru was in a sense afraid of Sardar’s influence and position; he had some thing of inferiority complex. When ever Sardar disposed of his long worded arguments cryptically, Pt. Nehru was usually non plussed and there was a silent gap before he resumed his talk again” (2) “I know how deeply anguished he used to feel at his helplessness in settling the problem with his accustomed swiftness”(3) He had a beautiful quote on Sardar that “Sarojini in her own characteristic manner described Sardar as ‘a rough diamond in an iron casket’ Sardar was par excellence a self made man. He owed little to others until he met Gandhi ji. Gandhi ji was undoubtedly the greatest single influence on his life” (4) 

This is how the Princes of British India viewed him. Maharaja of Gwalior while presenting a portrait of him to Parliament in 1954, said “Here is the man whom I once I hated. Here is the man of whom I was later afraid. Here is the man whom I admire and love” (5) 

President Rajinder Prasad wrote in his diary on May 13, 1959 “That there is to day an India to think and talk about, is very largely due to Sardar Patel’s statesman ship and firm administration” “yet” added Prasad “We are apt to ignore him” “Patel is a man to remember gratefully in good times and as a benchmark of India’s potential when the times seem depressing or daunting”(6)

Sh. B. Krishna, an illustrious Journalist, son of a great patriot and a freedom fighter Late Sh. Gauri Shanker has written an extremely well researched book on Sardar Patel, a kind of Magnum Opus titled “Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel-India’s Iron Man” He has mentioned in his book that during the Cabinet Mission parleys in 1946 in New Delhi, a Jain Muni visited Patel. After a lavish praise, he went on to suggest: ‘Sardar Sahib, you must write India’s history.’ Patel had a hearty laugh and said, ‘We do not write history, we make history.’ He has given one more interesting anecdote that showed up his mind. Sh. Krishna quotes Mahavir Desai, a freedom fighter and a close associate of Gandhi ji, that “Sardar revealed his true character rather humorously when he told Gandhi in Yervada jail in 1932 “Who has attained immortality by reading and writing? They live for ever who are either victorious or go down fighting bravely” (7) 
“On the subject of states, Mount batten reported to London, ‘Nehru and Gandhi are pathological.’ He was relieved that unsentimental Vallabh Bhai Patel had been made head of the Deptt rather than more emotional Nehru. (8) Late Mehar Chand Mahajan, the then Prime Minister of the state of J&K and former Chief Justice of India while recording his tributes to Sardar Patel after demitting his office of the Prime Minister of J&K, mentions “ If God had spared him for India for some more years, the history of India and its administration might have been differently written”(9) 


Alan Campbell-Johnson who was a press attaché to Earl Mountbatten, the last viceroy of India and covered that period vividly portrays the personality of Sardar Patel as “Dressed in his Dhoti, Patel conjures up the vision of a Roman Emperor in his toga. There are in fact Roman qualities about this man---administrative talent, capacity to take and sustain strong decisions, and a certain serenity, which invariably accompanies real strength of character. Inspite of his preoccupations, Patel had a shrewd grasp of India’s strategic position in the world at large” (10) 

“Sir Archibald Nye, Governor of Madras and after Lord Mountbatten’s departure, United Kingdom’s High Commissioner in New-Delhi told Alan Campbel on 4 Feb. 1948 that he was very impressed with Patel, who was a real leader in the military sense. Once decision had been taken there were no vain regrets and the objective was whole heartedly pursued. He also had that second gift of leadership, the power of delegation. VP had been given the job of organizing the States, Patel was hardly aware of the details. In Nye’s view this was the sign of a great man” (11) 

Philip Ziegler who was a diplomat, publisher and a full time writer, profiling Sardar said “Sardar Patel was the Tammany Hall boss of the Congress Party; tough, unscrupulous, knowing, a pragmatist concerned with the realities of power, indifferent to abstract theorizing. Nehru and he viewed each other with suspicion and some distaste, most of the time, however remembering that they were indispensable to each other. Mount batten found Nehru vastly the more sympathetic, but felt surer of his ground in discussion with Patel….Once Patel had been convinced that a certain course was logically necessary; he would pursue it with indifference to the ideological objections that might be raised by others. About Patel, he said “The one man I had regarded as a real statesman with both feet firmly on the ground, and a man of honour whose word was his bond” (12)

H.V.Hodson who was a historian, Constitutional Adviser to Viceroy Lord Linlithgow and former Editor of The Sunday Times had most appropriately summed up the first impression of Mountbatten about Pt. Nehru. “It was not long before before he (Mountbatten) recognized that ‘Nehru had always seemed to need a stronger figure to give him confidence, a wiser or more self assured man whose judgment would guide or confirm his own: in the early days it was his father, Moti Lal Nehru; for most of his life it was Mahatma Gandhi; in the cabinet and in Congress politics those crucial days, it was Sardar Patel” (13)

It is worth noting what Sh. Rajagopalachari said about Sardar Patel. Alex Vonn Tunzelmann, a ‘wonderful historian’ in her book as recent as 2007 says “Three days after the announcement of Rajagopalachari as the next Governor General, Nehru wrote him a sad letter that ‘our politics have lost all real character or moral basis and we function as opportunists’ Rajagopalachari sent back a telegram, admitting that he had been deeply moved by Nehru’s words. ‘I feel you should be the Governor General instead of me and let Sardar Patel be the Prime Minister’(14)
Sardar Patel has generally been known as anti communists and a capitalist himself. Just see what a nationally and internationally respected Communist leader M.N.Roy had said about Patel that “had Kashmir remained with Patel, the solution would have been reached soon after partition” He called Patel as the master builder. (15) What Sardar had to say on the so called pro-capitalist leanings? “I have been accused of being a friend of Rajas, capitalists and Zamindars. But I claim to be a friend of labour and the poor. Since I followed Gandhi ji, I resolved not to own property and have none…But I can succumb to the prevalent fashion to pose as a leader or attempt to gain leadership by abusing princes and capitalists” (16)

According to H.V.Hodson, “Though Mountbatten had always considered Nehru as his beast friend in India but still had this take on him “I am glad to say that Nehru has not been put in charge of the new states Deptt, which would have wrecked every thing. Patel who is essentially a realist and very sensible is going to take it over” (17) 

Here was a stalwart of simple living and the highest thinking. It will put our modern day politicians and leaders to some kind of introspection. Mahavir ji, a devoted Gandhian and a national leader gives a moving account of the simplicity and the self sacrifice of Sardar Patel. One evening, Mahavir ji was with Sardar Patel in the circuit house at Dehradun where he was convalescing after a massive heart attack. Tyagi ji seeing Mani Behn, Patel’s devoted daughter, wearing a khadi sari with a big patch covering a torn portion, lightheartedly remarked “Manibehn, you are the daughter of a man who has with in a year, established a far flung empire. Not so was Rama’s or Krishna’s nor Ashoka’s, Akbar’s or of the British. As the daughter of one who is the Sardar of big Rajas and Maharajas, do not you feel ashamed wearing such a sari? Teasing her further, Tyagi said, ‘If you happen to go round my town, people will take you for a beggar and offer you some money”

“Patel burst in to laughter, enjoying the banter humourously remarked: “The bazaar is full of people. By the evening, she will be able to collect a good amount of money’. Dr Sushila Nayyar interjected to reveal the truth. ‘Tyagi, Manibehn spends the whole day in looking after Sardar Sahib. Then she has to find time to write her diary and spin yarn on the Charkha. Of the yarn thus spun, clothes are stitched for Sardar Sahib as he does not purchase cloth from the Khadi Bhandar. When his dhotis and kurtas are torn, Manibehn makes her clothes out of them’ Sardar Patel again g added some humour that ‘She is a poor man’s daughter. How can she afford to have good clothes? Her father does not earn at all’ (24) 

Razvi, a rabid communalist who had organized Muslim Razakars, an force of Muslim volunteers to oppose any kind of union with the Govt. of India and who in concert with Nizam of Hyderabad was trying all kinds of antics to keep Hyderabad independent, an ulcre in the belly of India, visited Delhi in November of 1947, called on the Sardar and told him “We shall fight and die to the last man”. Sardar Patel replied “How can I stop you from committing suicide”. On April 15/48, Sardar Patel met Laik Ali, a Premier and a representative of Nizam and told him “You know as well as I do where power in Hyderabad lies. The gentlemen who dominates Hyderabad, Razvi, has categorically stated that if the Indian Dominion comes to Hyderabad, it will find nothing but the ashes and bones of one and a half crore Hindus. If that is the position, then it seriously undermines the whole future of the Nizam and his dynasty”. Laik Ali was taken aback by Sardar’s words. This was not the language he had heard from either Nehru or Mountbatten. (25)

Sardar Patel was the most hated person in Pakistan. He would send shivers down the spine of the political leadership of Pakistan when ever he found it necessary to speak up. When Hindus were being killed indiscriminately in East Pakistan, Nehru needed a strong message to be given to Pakistan. He left it to Patel who roared “Either surrender territory for the rehabilitation of the refugees or he would order military to mount action. U.N.Dhebhar records ‘This went home and Liaquat Ali Khan came to Delhi to negotiate a pact—the Nehru-Liaquat Pact (26) 

One very important issue about Sardar which need to be discussed thread bare is the charge of being anti Muslim. I shall again quote Sh. V. Shanker who being his political Secretary worked very closely with him, who in fact had been alleged to be influencing the views of Sardar Patel on the various national issues. He has said “There is no doubt that Sardar’s diluted secularism was more popular and had more adherents than Pt. Nehru’s absolute secularism….The fact is that Sardar did not mean any non Hindu any harm nor did he deliberately do any injustice to them. What he held was and rightly so was that secularism did not mean the abandonment of Hinduism or utter disregard of Hindus or Hindu interests but an objective and fair attitude to other religions and interests of other communities. He was opposed to obsession with Muslims or Muslim interest and insisted on a supreme test for all namely loyalty to the country and patriotism. He was particularly critical of Pt. Nehru and Gandhi ji devoting themselves mostly to voicing their feelings for the oppressed Muslims…..and without saying comparable to, though not necessarily proportionate to what Hindus and Sikhs were suffering both in India and Pakistan” (27) 

Here are the views of the Muslim League about Sardar Patel. They felt that more harm had been done top the cause of Muslims by Pandit Nehru’s contradictory behaviour and in consistent policies than by Sardar’s open and clear opposition to Muslim league interests. Liaquat Ali said after the death of Sardar that “he always meant what he said and said what he meant” (28) 

For Patel, Nation would take precedence over every thing. He was so much devoted to Gandhi who was like a God to him. But Still when his conscience felt that a particular decision was in the interest of country, he would go ahead with it not with standing whether it was to the liking of Gandhi or not. He said so ‘For several years Gandhi and I were in perfect agreement. Mostly we agreed instinctively; but when the time for a big decision on the question of India’s independence came, we differed. I felt we had to take independence there and then. We had therefore to agree to partition. I came to this conclusion after a great deal of heart searching and with great deal of sorrow. But I felt that if we did not accept partition, India would be split in to bits and completely ruined’ (29)

How Patel lived in the minds, thoughts and aspirations of the people of India even after his demise has been vividly portrayed in this condolence message. When Patel died, ICS association met on December 16, 1950 to condole his loss. Mr Bajpai being the senior most presided. He said “We meet here to mourn the loss and pay tribute to the memory of a great patriot, a great administrator and a great man. Sardar Patel was all three---a rare combination in any historic epoch and in any country…..” (30) Foreign Correspondent O.M.Green wrote on his demise; There is no obvious successor to Vallabh bahi Patel; men of his stamp are not born every day’ 

Vinoba Bhave held the view that “Patel was the accurate bowman of Gandhi’s struggle, his disciple and his GOC. He knew no retreat. It was due to his presence in the Govt. that people of India could keep courage and feel secure, just as in the time of Shivaji, the people remained brave and unbroken due to his personality.’ (31) 

It is worth while reproducing the views of two eminent journalists Ian stephens, Editor The statesman and Andrew Mellor, the Daily Herald representative in Delhi who observed the events in India between 1947 and 1949, giving their own takes on these two great personalities, Sardar Patel and Pt. Nehru. Stephen writes: ‘I much liked the tough old Sardar even when in disagreement with his views; he had always been very cordial and frank. Five minutes with him were in my experience fifteen with Pandit Nehru.’(32) 

According to Mellor ‘The broad and heavy features, the great head and generally unmoving, almost unblinking gaze from eyes which were extremely penetrating could not fail to have a considerable effect……He gave a feeling of aloofness, almost grimness and certainly inspired awe. Never the less I know that personally he was kind and patient…..Patel might have been a politician at the beginning, but certainly at the end he was a statesman of unrivalled skill, acumen and wisdom. ….His actions showed a pattern of unshakeable determination. (33) 

I will also like to quote a stalwart and a distinguished bureaucrat P.C.Alexander, ex. Cabinet Secretary and a former Governor of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra who has said that “There would have been no modern India as we see it today without the crucial contributions made by Patel to this concept in one of the most critical periods in the country's history. (34)

Veteran Bureaucrat, an ICS who served on the two-man Steering Committee charged with the settling the mechanics of Partition and later as Defence Secretary, “after referring to the farsightedness, generosity and breadth of mind that the Sardar displayed in the Partition Council and recalling that he made himself available for consultation at all hours he said – With an almost unerring instinct he knew precisely what the right course was, and it can be said that we have gone wrong only where have somehow succeeded in persuading him against his own instinctive view”.(35)

V P Menon said “in the tasks that lie ahead, India would do well to remember the pregnant words of Sardar that “it will be a folly to ignore realities, facts take their revenge, if they are not faced squarely and well”(36)

General Roy Butcher, British Commander in Chief of the Indian army had this to say about Sardar Patel “The Sardar always reminded me of the pictures Roman emperors in history books. There was some thing rock like in his appearance and demeanour.” And further after discovering that Mountbatten was wrong and Sardar right on Hyderabad, he observed that “the Sardar’s reading of the pulse of India was almost uncanny in its accuracy” (37)

 “In Feb. 1949 he said: I have considered myself a soldier in the service of Hindustan and I shall be a soldier to the end of my life. May I cease to exist when I deflect from this path of service” (38) 

Industrialist late J.R.D. Tata who spoke about Patel’s “simple good sense and logic” and contrast with Nehru’s mould of thought that “ While I usually came back from talks with Jawahar Lal fired with emotional zeal but often confused and unconvinced, meetings with Vallabhbhai were a joy from which I returned with renewed confidence in the future of our country” (39) 

“Till Bapu’s death” Patel had said to C.R. in the middle of October 1950, “I used to oppose him (Nehru) and fight with him. But now I have given up” (In view of Gandhi’s last wish that he and Nehru should work together, any criticism would “look bad” But he would not remain silent if he found Jawahar Lal causing “irreparable harm to the country” (40)

Rajaji, who took over as the Governor General of India after Lord Mountbatten said “What inspiration, courage, confidence and force incarnate Vallabhai was! We will not see the like of him again”. Said Prasad “Sardar’s body is being consumed by fire but no fire on earth can consume his fame. We grieve for ourselves not for him”.(41)

Ultimately, this man of steel nerves who sacrificed every thing in the cause of the nation who did not even have a house of his own left India orphaned. Pt. Jawahar Lal gave the news to Parliament “at 9.37 this morning, the story of his great life ended. It is a great story as all of us know, as the whole of the country knows and history will record in many pages and call him the builder and consolidator of the new India. But to many of us here, he will be remembered as a great captain of our forces in the struggle of freedom and as one who gave us sound advice in times of trouble as well as in moments of victory, as a friend and a colleague on whom one could invariably rely, as a tower of strength which revived wavering hearts. (42) 

References: 

1), 2), 3), 4)-My Reminiscences of Sardar Patel by V. Shanker
5) Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel-an Iron Man of India by B.Krishna
6)‘Portrait of President, (2), Gyanvati Darbar, (ed.) Vikas New Dehi p-60’. 
(Quoted in Patel –a-Life by Raj Mohan Gandhi. Preface) 
7. Desai Mahadev: “Yervada Jail Diary” (In Hindi from Gujrati) Vol.II, 
page. 18 
8. Indian Summer by Alex Von Tunzelmann Page 218-

9. Mehar Chand Mahajan in “Looking Back”
10. Alan Campbell-Johnson in “Mission with Mountbatten”
11. IBID 
12) Mountbatten-the official biography by Philip Ziegler
13. H.V.Hodson. ‘The Great Divide:Britain-India-Pakistan’ p-220, 215 
14. ‘Indian Summer-The Secret History of the End of an Empire’page-322
15. Sardar Patel’s Correspondence 1945-50—Volume I-New Light on 
Kashmir. edited by Durga Das, formerly Editor in Chief Hindustan Times
16. (Nandurkar, (ed.)Centenary, (2), letters P-13), referred to in ‘Patel –a-
Life by Raj Mohan Gandhi. Page 461’
17. H.V.Hodson. ‘The Great Divide:Britain-India-Pakistan’ 
24.(Meri Kaun Sunega (Who shall listen to me?) by Mahavir Tyagi page-58-59 
25. Patel – A Life’ by Rajmohan Gandhi
26) U.N. Dhebhar “This was Sardar”-Commemorative volume. I, pp262-263 
27. My Reminiscences 0f Sardar Patel Vol. 1 Page 91- 
28) IBID Vol. 1 Page-26 
29) Sardar Patel--In tune with the Millions’ –I (Vol.II) pp-277-78 
30. The Statesman, December 16-1950
31)) Harijan: “GOC of the non violent army” by Vinoba Bhave, January 26, 1951, p-419
32. Stephens Ian “Horned Moon”p-111 
33 (Mellor, Andrew: Letter to author, B. Krishna November 18, 1968) 
34. ‘Patel is indelible’ by P.C. Alexander. Publication: The Asian Age 
35. As quoted by Raj Mohan Gandhi in Patel-a-Life, referring to Nandurkar, (ed.) Centenary, (1), pp 141-2. 
36. V.P. in ‘Integration of the Indian States’
37) Patel –a-Life by Raj Mohan Gandhi, page 474
38 ( Hindustan Times, 28-2-49) Quoted at page 492 IBID
39. JRD Tata, Key note Tata Press Bombay, 1986, pp.XIII-XIV) IBID
40. Page 530-IBID Quoted from ‘Entry dated 16.10.50, DMP (Patel to C.R. 
and entry dated 21.9.50, DMP) 
41. P-533-IBID
42. (Nandurkar, (ed.) centenary) (1). p-447) referred to in ‘Patel –a-


Life by Raj Mohan Gandhi.

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