Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Death Anniversary: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, also known as the Iron Man of India, was a man of principles. He was one of those leaders who are remembered for their selfless service to the nation. Born to a Patidar Gurjar farmer in Gujarat, his date of birth was never officially recorded but he entered 31 October 1875, as his date of birth on his matriculation examination paper. He played a crucial role in India’s freedom struggle. A lawyer by profession, Patel was an ardent supporter of Mahatma Gandhi. A fierce nationalist, Patel never believed in compromising with his core philosophy of ‘nation first'.
Here are 10 important facts about Sardar Patel:
1. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is popularly known as Sardar Patel and is also called the "Iron Man of India".
2. He was the first Deputy Prime Minister of India and founding father of the Republic of India.
3. Sardar Patel passed his matriculation at the late age of 22.
4. Patel spent years away from his family, studying on his own with books borrowed from other lawyers and passed examinations within two years. He became one of the most successful barristers of India.
5. Earlier he was not interested in politics but after meeting Gandhi, his life changed after having been influenced by his politics and thoughts. A month later at the Gujarat Political Conference in Godhra, Patel became the secretary of the Gujarat Sabha.
6. Sardar Patel played a key role in integrating over 550 princely states around the time of Independence.
7. The Government of India began observing Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) on Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary (October 31) from 2014.
8. In April 1947, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, then a Home member of the interim government, started his tour in Gujarat asking people to maintain calm and communal harmony. He also worked for the equality of women, untouchability and caste discrimination in India.
9. Sardar Patel joined Gandhi’s Non-cooperation Movement and toured the state to recruit more than 300,000 members and raise over Rs.15 lakh in funds.He also led Satyagraha movement in Nagpur in the absence of Gandhi in 1923 against a law that restricted the hoisting of the Indian flag.
10. After suffering a massive heart attack, he died on 15 December 1950.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's famous quotes
- "Today we must remove the distinction between high and low, rich and poor, caste or creed"
- "Faith and strength are both essential to accomplish any great work."
- "Caste, the community will rapidly disappear. We have to speedily forget all these things. Such boundaries hamper our growth."
- "Two ways of building character – cultivating strength to challenge oppression, and tolerate the resultant hardships that give rise to courage and awareness."
- “Every Indian should now forget that he is a Rajput, a Sikh, or a Jat. He must remember that he is an Indian and he has every right in his country but with certain duties.”
