The nation will always be indebted to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the architect of modern India, Expert View
The meaning of nation is very wide in Sanatan culture. This culture prohibits considering a mere piece of land or land surrounded by an artificial boundary line as a nation. According to this, a nation is such a unit in which human communities live that have similar pasts, cultures, traditions, ways of life, and ideology and are full of the spirit of co-existence. Realizing these, there is a similarity in the basic nature and culture of the people here, in spite of all the variations including living, eating habits, dialects, traditions, festivals, and beliefs, due to geographical conditions from east to west and north to south. In a true sense, India is a cultural nation. At the same time, Indian society is a great cultural and ideological establishment and culture. It is associated with its roots through thought, contemplation, philosophy, and lifestyle.
The relationship of oneness and co-existence as depicted in the Vedas between nature and human beings is accepted by the whole nation. By saying 'Mata Bhoomi: Putro Aham Prithivya:' the Vedas considered the earth to be the mother and the living beings as her children. Outlining the geographical landscape of India, it is said in Vishnu Purana – Uttaram Yat Samudrasya Himadreshchaiva Dakshinam. Varsam tad bharatam naam bharti yatra santih. 'That is, the land north of the sea and south of the Himalayas is India and its inhabitants are Indians.' They have lived on this land for thousands of years with happiness, prosperity, and brotherhood. There was a time when the natural resources and hard work of the people made it a golden bird. Traders from all over the world would come here with their money and buy various resources and essential items. Due to its 'generous character' nature, India taught various countries the lessons of knowledge, art, skills, human religion, etc. But the evil eye of the foreigners fell on India. They attacked and harassed the peace-loving people here, looted wealth, and destroyed cultural heritage and knowledge systems.
The women of Bardoli gave the title of 'Sardar' to Vallabhbhai Patel
To get rid of these tragedies, many brave sons and courageous mother-powers of our country fought. Among them, the contribution of Vallabhbhai Patel is very important. Sardar Patel got his first recognition on the national stage through Kheda and Bardoli Satyagraha. In the Kheda Satyagraha of 1917, there was widespread opposition under the leadership of Sardar Patel to the unfair tax imposed by the British government. Sardar Patel took the reins of 'Bardoli Satyagraha' in 1928 in protest against the burden of excessive rent imposed by the British on the farmers. The British government was forced to reduce the rent.
The women of Bardoli gave the title of 'Sardar' to Vallabhbhai Patel. In the context of this movement, Gandhi said that every such struggle, every effort is bringing us closer to Swaraj and such struggles can prove to be more helpful than the struggles directly for Swaraj. India got freedom from the British as a result of many such movements and sacrifices. But this freedom also brought with it the horrors of Partition. Our country was divided into two. But before that, a conspiracy had been hatched to divide the country into several pieces. The British had said that if the 565 princely states of India want to stay with India, stay with Pakistan or become independent countries. Due to this, there was a danger of fragmentation of Bharatvarsha. Princely states like Travancore, Hyderabad, and Junagadh were against joining India.
Sardar worked tirelessly to build consensus with such princely states and used the policy of Sama, Daam, Dand, and Bhed in the interest of the nation. The Nawab of Junagadh and the Nizam of Hyderabad still did not want to join India. In such a situation, Sardar Patel made them an integral part of India by using skillful strategy, understanding, and military force. Sardar Patel is known as the 'Iron Man for playing an important role in the integration of various princely states into the Indian Union.
The world's tallest statue of Vallabhbhai Patel built
Sardar Patel used his energy with full dedication for the creation of a strong and prosperous India after independence. Despite all the challenges, with amazing skill and strategy, Sardar Patel accomplished this great task and became the architect of a unified India. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel carried the virtue of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' in post-independence India through indomitable courage and efficiency. Apart from this, Sardar Patel is also known as the 'Patron Saint of Indian Civil Servants' for establishing modern All-India Services.
Recalling these incomparable contributions of Sardar Patel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to celebrate the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Patel as National Unity Day in the year 2018 on 31st October. The government believes that National Unity Day is an opportunity to 'reconnect to the inherent strength and resilience of our country, to face the real and potential threats to the unity and integrity, and to provide security to the country.' The world's tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ' the Statue of Unity was also built to show gratitude towards Sardar Patel's work and to maintain its memory among the countrymen.
