Essay on 'Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel' also Known as Iron Man of India (Statue of Unity)

 

 'Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel' also Known as Iron Man of India (Statue of Unity)

Full name of 'Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel' was Sardar Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel. He was born on 31 October 1875 in Nadiad, Gujarat, India. His father's name was Jhaverbhai Patel, who was a simple farmer. His mother's name was Laad Bai, who was a simple lady.

Popularly known as the "the Iron Man of India", Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is regarded as one of the most influential and dynamic freedom fighters in India. He was a key contributor to our country's Freedom Movement. Sardar Patel was among the most notable and influential figures in the Indian Freedom struggle. He was a huge contributor to the fight for the Independence of our nation.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a very hard-working individual from his childhood. He used to help his father in farming and also took time for his studies. He became an Indian barrister and statesman.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was one of the leaders of the Indian National Congress and one of the founding fathers of the Republic of India. He took active part in the struggle of India.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel became the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India. He used strength and determination to bring together the many Indian princely states to form one united country- India as we know it today. He was often known as the 'Iron Man of India'.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel died on 15 December 1950 at the age of 75. He will ever be remembered for his great works.

Early Life and Education

Sardar Vallabhbhai was born October 31, 1875, in the Leuva Patel Patidar community located in Nadiad village of Gujarat. His full name is Vallabhbhai Jahaverbhai Patel, and he is also known by the name Sardar Patel. Sardar Patel's dad, Zaverbhai Patel, worked with the army, and his mother, Ladbai, had a keen interest in spirituality. Patel was a brave character from his early years.

There was an incident when he was able to treat a painful boil without hesitation with a hot iron rod. At the age of 22, at the time that everyone graduated, Sardar Patel completed high school, and because of this, many believed that he would be working a regular job.

When he completed high school, Sardar Patel continued his studies and became an attorney and then a barrister in England. When he came back to India in the 1900s, he continued to practice law in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Essay on 'Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel'

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a prominent freedom fighter who played an important role in uniting India after Independence. He was close to Mahatma Gandhi and made many significant contributions to India’s freedom struggle. For his strong belief and conviction in unity, he was given the title of ‘The Iron Man of India.’ The title of ‘Sardar’ was given to him by Gandhiji for his strong leadership in the Bartoli Satyagraha. He was a barrister, but he quit his successful career to join the struggle for freedom alongside many great leaders. He was a great source of inspiration for the people during the independence struggle and continues to inspire the next generations.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a prominent freedom fighter who struggled for India’s Independence alongside national leaders like Mahatma Gandhi. He believed in the strength of unity and worked tirelessly towards bringing divided India together. Because of his efforts toward national integration and success in uniting the country, he was given the title “Iron Man of India”.

After independence, Sardar Patel became the Home Minister of the country. He undertook the arduous task of uniting more than 500 princely states to give birth to United India. He has been an inspiration for other freedom fighters and the generations that follow. His birth anniversary, October 31, is observed as ‘National Unity Day’ to commemorate the values we learned from his life. 

There is a huge statue in Gujarat built in honor of the national luminary, which is called the ‘Statue of Unity’. It is the world’s tallest statue that symbolizes his strength and leadership.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is an inspiring freedom fighter. His values and ethos are relevant even in today’s times. Therefore, children learn about the freedom fighter and his contributions to the struggle for independence in school. Essay writing is an effective medium to learn about this subject as children memorize facts and present them in clear and coherent language. It demonstrates their knowledge of the topic and improves their grammar and vocabulary.

Vallabhbhai was elected Secretary for Gujarat as part of the Indian National Congress in 1917. The year 1918 was the time he opposed the Britisher's practice of taxing the farmers following the flooding in Kaira. He tried his best to persuade the British to return the farms' land. His noble efforts to get back the land as well as in bringing farmers from his area together are the reasons he was rewarded with the title of "Sardar".

Furthermore, in 1928 the farmers of Bardoli faced the issue of an increase in taxes. When farmers could not pay the tax, their land was confiscated. Vallabhbhai was able to return the land to farmers after negotiating an agreement between the representatives of the farmers and the government. Patel also played a prominent role in the non-cooperation movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. Patel toured the country along with Gandhi Ji, where they both succeeded in recruiting 300000 members and were able to gather over 1.5 million.

Life after India's Independence

After India gained independence in 1947, Sardar Patel was appointed the first Deputy Prime Minister of India. The most significant role played by him was after India gained independent status. The British government offered two options to princely states prior to independence. The option was either to be part of Pakistan or India or remain an independent state. All of this created the task of splitting extremely challenging. Sardar Patel was chosen to take on this daunting job. He was able to integrate over 562 states to come under the umbrella of the Indian Dominion. Although he succeeded in integrating most regions, but the areas of Junagarh, Hyderabad, Jammu and Kashmir were still left. Later on, they also acceded. So, he was able to manage the situation through his sharp political abilities and was also able to secure his accession.

The India which we live in today is the product of the endeavours of Sardar Patel throughout his life and many other selfless men like him. Patel got elected as an influential member of the Constituent Assembly of India; whereupon his approval, Dr B.R. Ambedkar was also appointed for various other tasks. He was a key player in the creation of the Indian Police Services and the Indian Administrative Services. In addition, he was opposed to the policies formulated by the Jawaharlal Nehru government, specifically the decision on refugee concerns.

Death

Vallabhbhai Patel's health started worsening in 1950. At that time, he was told by the doctor that he wouldn't survive for long. After a couple of months, his physical health began to slow down and forced him to bed. On the 15th of December, 1950, a heart attack struck him, and he passed away on the same day. In 2014, his birthday, i.e., 31st January, was declared Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day. He was honoured with the posthumous Bharat Ratna Award in 1991.

The Statue Of Unity

In October 2018, the honorable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, inaugurated Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's statue. The sculpture was created by the well-known sculptor Ram V. Sutra. His statue is the largest in the world and stands 182 meters tall. It was constructed at Sarovar Dam in the Narmada District of Gujarat. The statue is known as the 'Statue for Unity'.

The whole journey of Vallabhbhai Patel was incredibly inspiring and motivating. He achieved his goals in the field with little support from his peers and played a major role in bringing the Indian people together in the fight for freedom. His faith in the unity of diverse cultures and his persistent efforts to win back India's Independence earned him the title of "The Iron Man of India".

Conclusion

Sardar Patel's contribution to India's freedom struggle has been truly exemplary and unrivalled. He was a great source of inspiration to youngsters of the Nation back at the time of the freedom struggle and continues to inspire people to this date. He can be called a self-made man in every sense of the term. His ideas of Integration have established the basis of Unity. India will always be indebted to its Iron Man!