150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat on the 150th birth anniversary of India’s first Home Minister.

• The birth anniversary of Patel is celebrated as ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ (National Unity Day) on October 31.

• The day honours his pivotal role in fostering national and political integration and unity in India. 

• It underscores the importance of maintaining the sovereignty, peace and integrity of the nation, encouraging citizens to pledge their commitment to unity in diversity.

Important points on Sardar Patel:

• Vallabhbhai Patel was born on October 31, 1875 in Nadiad, Gujarat. 

• A successful lawyer by profession, his life encountered a turning point when Mahatma Gandhi chose him as his deputy commander to lead the Kheda Satyagraha in 1918. 

• Patel became increasingly involved with the struggle for independence. It was his role in the Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928 that elevated him to a new pinnacle of national glory. 

• The peasant movement that became a subject of great discussion across the nation demonstrated the Sardar’s organisational capacity and enthusiasm for tireless action. It was here that he earned the title of ‘Sardar’, the fond epithet by which he continues to be remembered and revered.

• On August 15, 1947, Sardar Patel took oath as the first Deputy Prime Minister, as well as the first Home Minister of independent India. 

• He played a crucial role in the national integration process following  Independence.

• He was tasked with unifying over 560 princely states into the Union of India. 

• Under the Indian Independence Act, rulers of the princely states were given the option to decide whether they wanted to accede to India or Pakistan or neither. 

• Sardar Patel employed a combination of diplomatic negotiations, persuasion, and, where necessary, firm administrative measures to prevent balkanisation. 

• Through the States Department he led, Sardar Patel successfully integrated these states by August 15, 1947, or shortly thereafter, ensuring the territorial integrity of modern India. 

• His efforts averted potential fragmentation and laid the foundation for a united democratic republic. 

• Sardar Patel’s life and career is a lesson in grit, sagacity and decisive leadership. He earned the reputation of ‘Iron Man’ because of the manner in which he brought about and maintained internal stability as Home Minister in the wake of the partition of the country.

• Another illustrious contribution made by Sardar Patel was the creation of All India Services. He had envisioned these services as the ‘Steel frame of India’ that would further safeguard the country's unity and integrity. 

• He passed away on December 15, 1950.

• On October 31, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the world’s tallest statue – the ‘Statue of Unity’ to the nation. 

• Standing tall at 182 metres against the backdrop of the dramatic Satpura and Vindhyachal hills in Kevadia, Gujarat, this statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel stands as an ode to one of the most venerated leaders the country has known.