Sardar Patel, the architect and unifier of modern India, was not only a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi but also his ardent follower. Patel was a selfless leader, who placed the country’s interests above everything else and shaped India’s destiny with single-minded devotion.
Sardar Patel was not only an organizer par excellence but also turned out to be a people’s leader. He earned the title of ‘Sardar’ after he spearheaded peasant’s no-tax campaign at Bardoli in Gujarat.
He also led the relief and rehabilitation operations from the front when Gujarat was ravaged by floods and worked tirelessly during plague outbreak in Ahmedabad.
While he became immensely popular and had earned the title of Sardar after Bardoli campaign, Patel played a major role Salt Satyagraha and was imprisoned with other leaders. During Quit India Movement also, he went around the country giving stirring speeches and was again jailed.
His vision for a unified India also saw the creation of All India Administrative Services which he described as the ‘Steel Frame’. His exhortation to the probationers to maintain utmost impartiality and incorruptibility of administration is as relevant today as it was then.
The villagers’ of Kheda district perceived Gandhiji as a saint and Vallabhabhai as a hero. They had also observed the working of Gandhiji’s astute mind and Vallabhabhai’s selflessness.