7. Minister of Home Affairs
In office
15 August 1948 – 15 December
1950
8. Personal details
Born Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
31 October 1875
Nadiad, Gujarat, Bombay
Presidency, British India
Died 15 December
1950 (aged 75)
Bombay, Bombay State,
India
10. Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel was
one of the important social and
political leaders of India. He played
an important role in India's
struggle for freedom. He is
believed to be born on 31st
October 1875 at
Nadiad, Gujarat and was often
addressed as Sardar.
12. He did his matriculation at the age of 22.
He seemed to be an ordinary person to
everyone around him, but had strong will
power. He wanted to become a barrister.
At the age of 36, he went to England to
fulfill his dream and joined Middle Temple
Inn. He completed his 36-month course in
just 30 months. After returning to India he
became one of the most successful
barristers of Ahmedabad.
13.
14. Inspired by the work and philosophy ofMahatma
Gandhi, he joined India's struggle for independence. He
organized peasants of Kheda, Bardoli and other parts of
Gujarat and launched non-violent Civil Disobedience
Movement in Gujarat, against the payment of raised tax,
levied by the British government. He succeeded in his
goal and British government suspended the payment of
revenue for that year. With this he became one of the
most influential leaders in Gujarat. In 1920 he became
the president of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee
and served in the post till 1945. He was a strong
supporter of the Non -Cooperation movement of Gandhi
and worked against alcoholism, Untouchability and
caste discrimination in Gujarat.
16. He was elected as the municipal president of
Ahmedabad in 1922, 1924 and 1927. When
Mahatma Gandhi was in prison, he led the
Satyagraha in Nagpur in 1923 against the
British law, banning the raising of the Indian
flag. He was elected as a President of India
National Congress in 1931. He was at the
forefront of the Congress's all India election
campaign in 1934 and 1937 and was a
prominent leader in organizing the Quit India
Movement in 1942. He was arrested prior to
the Quit India Movement and was released in
1945.
18. After India's independence, he became the first
Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India.
He organized relief camps for refugees in Punjab and
Delhi. He was the man behind the consolidation of
565 semi-autonomous princely states to form a
united India. Patel was very attached to Mahatma
Gandhi. After Mahatma Gandhi's death his condition
also started deteriorating, he suffered a major heart
attack within two months of Gandhi's death. He died
on 15th December 1950. He was a man of courage
and determination and in the true sense the 'Iron
Man of India'.
20. In September 1917, Patel delivered an encouraging speech
in Borsad to motivate Indians to sign Gandhi's petition
demanding Swaraj.
Patel also rose against the forced servitude of Indians to
Europeans. He organised relief efforts at the time of
plague and famine in the Kheda district.
Vallabhbhai Patel initiated a village-to-village tour to
involve maximum people in the statewide revolt to refuse
the payment of taxes.
Patel supported Gandhi's Non-cooperation Movement and
toured the state to recruit more than 300,000 members
and raise over Rs. 15 lakh in funds.
Satyagraha was led by Patel in Nagpur in the absence of
Gandhi in 1923 against a law that restricted the hoisting of
the Indian flag.
22. Patel became popular as Sardar
among his colleagues and
followers after the triumph in
Bardoli.
Patel became the Congress
president for the Karachi session
of 1931
24. On the outbreak of World War II,
Patel supported Nehru's decision to
withdraw the Congress from central
and provincial legislatures.
In 1940 he was jailed for 9 months .
In 1942 he rejected the proposals of
the Cripps' mission.
26. In the 1946 election for the Congress presidency, Patel
stepped down in favour of Nehru.
As the first Home Minister, Patel's role was significant
in integration of several princely states into the Indian
federation.
Vallabhbhai Patel believed that the partition of India
could resolve the rising Muslim separatist movement
led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Patel represented India on the Partition Council and
chose the Indian council of ministers with Nehru.
28. Patel took the decision to appoint Dr. Bhimrao Ramji
Ambedkar as the chairman of the drafting committee and
the other leaders for the process of writing the constitution.
Patel was the chairman of the committees that was
responsible for fundamental rights, tribal and excluded
areas, minorities and provincial constitutions.
When the Pakistani invasion of Kashmir began in September
1947, Patel immediately wanted to send troops into
Kashmir. But agreeing with Nehru and Mountbatten, he
waited till Kashmir's monarch had acceded to India. Patel
then oversaw India's military operations to secure Srinagar,
the Baramulla Pass and the forces retrieved much territory
from the invaders.
30. Patel was a loyal follower of
Gandhi.
Nehru and Patel argued over
national issues. Nehru was
opposed by Patel over his
Kashmir policy. According to
Patel, Nehru was not justified in
sidelining his home ministry's
officials
62. Films on Sardar Patel
Arun Sadekar played the part of Patel in Hey
Ram, a movie by Kamal Haasan in 2000.
In 1993, the biopic Sardar was produced and
directed by Ketan Mehta, featuring Paresh
Rawal as Patel, describing Patel's leadership,
the partition of India and Patel's relationship
with Gandhi and Nehru.
Saeed Jaffrey portrayed Patel in Richard
Attenborough's Gandhi in 1982.