Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: The Iron Man Who United India

By Ravi Rohmetra

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was born into a Gujarati family belonging to the Leva Patel community. He hailed from Karamsad, a village in the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, where his father, Jhaverbhai Patel, owned a homestead. Patel had three elder brothers—Somabhai, Narsibhai, and Vithalbhai (who would later become a prominent political leader)—and two younger siblings, his brother Kashibhai and sister Dahiba.

As a young boy, Patel helped his father in the fields and observed religious discipline by fasting twice a month without food or water, a Hindu cultural practice that strengthened his physical endurance. His father was a devout follower of the Swaminarayan Sampraday and would often take young Vallabhbhai on foot to the Swaminarayan Temple in Vadtal, nearly 20 km from their village.

At the age of eighteen, Patel’s marriage was arranged with Jhaverba, a young girl of about twelve or thirteen from a nearby village. According to custom, the young bride continued to live with her parents until her husband began earning and could establish their household. Patel attended schools in Nadiad, Petlad, and Borsad, living independently with other boys. He passed his matriculation exam at the relatively late age of twenty-two. At that time, he was considered by his elders to be an unambitious man destined for a commonplace job.

However, Patel secretly harboured a dream—to study law, work, and save enough money to travel to England to become a barrister. His wife Jhaverba bore him a daughter, Manibehn, in 1904, and a son, Dahyabhai, in 1906.

Fighting for India’s Independence

In 1917, at the urging of his friends, Patel contested and won the election for the post of Sanitation Commissioner of Ahmedabad. Although he often clashed with British officials on civic issues, he initially showed little interest in national politics. Upon hearing about Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Patel jokingly remarked to his friend Mavlankar that Gandhi would “ask you if you know how to sift pebbles from wheat, and that is supposed to bring independence.”

However, Patel’s outlook changed dramatically after Gandhi’s successful defiance of British authorities in Champaran on behalf of oppressed farmers. Gandhi’s simple lifestyle—wearing Indian-style clothes and speaking in Indian languages instead of English—greatly impressed Patel. What attracted him most was Gandhi’s preference for direct action.

In September 1917, Patel delivered a powerful speech in Borsad urging Indians to support Gandhi’s petition demanding Swaraj—self-rule. A month later, at the Gujarat Political Conference in Godhra, Patel met Gandhi and soon became the secretary of the Gujarat Sabha, a public organization that later became the provincial branch of the Indian National Congress.

Encouraged by Gandhi, Patel fought against veth—the forced servitude of Indians to Europeans—and organized relief efforts during a plague and famine in Kheda district. When the British government rejected the peasants’ plea for tax exemption despite widespread crop failure, Gandhi sought a Gujarati leader to head the struggle. Patel immediately volunteered, fully aware that it would mean sacrificing his career and material ambitions.

Satyagraha in Gujarat

With the support of Congress volunteers Narhari Parikh, Mohanlal Pandya, and Abbas Tyabji, Vallabhbhai Patel toured the villages of Kheda, documenting grievances and mobilizing people for a tax boycott. He organized a vast network of volunteers who helped villagers hide valuables and protect themselves during British raids. Thousands of farmers were arrested, but Patel remained steadfast, inspiring courage and discipline among his followers.

The movement won sympathy across India—even from some pro-British politicians. Ultimately, the British authorities agreed to negotiate, suspending tax collection for the year and reducing future rates. Patel emerged as a national hero, admired for his leadership, courage, and organizational skill.

In 1920, Patel was elected President of the newly formed Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee, a position he held until 1945. He played a vital role in Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement, recruiting more than 300,000 members and raising over Rs. 15 lakh in funds. He and his family publicly burned their British-made clothes and began wearing khadi, symbolizing their commitment to the cause.

Patel also fought social evils such as alcoholism, untouchability, and caste discrimination, while working tirelessly for women’s empowerment. As President of Ahmedabad Municipality in 1922, 1924, and 1927, he oversaw major civic improvements, including expanded electricity supply and educational reforms.

Integration of India and Leadership After Independence

In 1946, Patel was a strong contender for the Congress presidency—a position that would determine who became independent India’s first Prime Minister. Thirteen of sixteen provincial Congress committees nominated Patel, but at Mahatma Gandhi’s request, he stepped aside in favor of Jawaharlal Nehru.

As India’s first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Sardar Patel played a decisive role in integrating more than 560 princely states into the Indian Union, often through diplomacy, but when necessary, with firmness. His pragmatic leadership earned him the title “Iron Man of India.” He also oversaw relief and rehabilitation efforts for millions of refugees during the traumatic partition of 1947 and worked tirelessly to restore peace and stability across the nation.

Legacy of the Iron Man

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was not only a great statesman but also one of the foremost architects of modern India. His contribution to uniting a divided nation is unparalleled in history. Patel was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, in 1991.

His birthday, October 31, is celebrated nationwide as “Rashtriya Ekta Diwas” (National Unity Day) to honour his vision of a united India. The Sardar Patel National Memorial, established in 1980 at Moti Shahi Mahal, Ahmedabad, houses his personal belongings, rare photographs, and important documents.

Patel appeared on the cover of TIME magazine in January 1947, symbolizing his growing global stature. Numerous institutions are named after him, including the Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (Surat), Sardar Patel University, and Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, among others.

The Sardar Sarovar Project, an ambitious multipurpose dam on the Narmada River, and the towering Statue of Unity—a 182-meter monument near the Narmada Dam—stand as enduring tributes to his legacy. The statue, now the tallest in the world, reflects India’s gratitude to the man who transformed its political map with vision, courage, and unshakeable determination.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel remains immortal in the annals of history as the Iron Man who welded together the fragments of a newly independent nation into one unified, sovereign India.

(Ravi Rohmetra is a Social worker and a freelance writer and can be reached Ravirohmetra@gmail.com Mob: 9419652999)