His brave deeds earned Vallabhbhai Patel the title, ‘the iron man of India.’ For his role in the Bardoli Satyagraha, Patel came to be known as Sardar. Though he was a famous lawyer, Sardar Patel gave up his profession in order to fight for the freedom of the country. After the independence, he became the deputy Prime Minister of India and played an important role in the integration of India by merging numerous princely states with the Indian Union.
Vallabhbhai Patel, popularly known as Sardar Patel, was an Indian politician. He served as the first Deputy Prime Minister of India. He was jailed several times in connection with the freedom movement. He was the right hand man of Mahatma Gandhi and his most trusted lieutenant. It was Patel who maintained discipline in the Congress ranks. In 1936, the Congress at the General Election won the majority of seats in seven provinces of British India.
He was essentially a man of action. He was India's man of destiny. He was the steel man of India. He was the brightest luminary on the home front. He was a walking volcano with fires aging in his heart. He was not a man to be ignored or trifled with. Defeat he never knew, weakness he never felt and indiscipline he never tolerated.
He was a pillar of fire and enthusiasm, but like a practical statesman, he was also a calm and unfathomable. He never the hesitated to take a decisive step. He combined quickness of decision with resourcefulness.
We salute Sardar Patel on his Jayanti. His momentous service and the monumental contribution to India can never be forgotten. It is with these words that Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi flagged off a run to commemorate the 142nd birth anniversary of the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
