SHRI I.B. PATEL ANGEL SR.SEC.

SCHOOL

GS Project On:

“BIOGRAPHY OF SARDAR VALLABHAI PATEL”

By Uday

(XII SCIENCE)

ACADEMIC YEAR 2019-2020

Examination Number:
 CERTIFICATE
This to certify that

UDAY PRATAP SINGH

OF

Standard XII Science of SHRI I.B. PATEL ANGEL SR.SECONDARY SCHOOL has
satisfactorily completed their project:

“SARDAR VALLABHBHAI PATEL”

During Academic year 2019-20.

Teachers Sign Principal Sign

Examiner Sign School Seal

 Acknowledgement

I would like to express a deep sense of thanks and gratitude to my project

teachers Mrs Siji Roy ma’am for guiding me immensely through the course of the
project. They always evinced keen interest and constant motivation has been
responsible for the successful completion of this project.

My sincere thanks to Mr. Manoj Singh sir, our Principal Sir, for his co-
ordination in expanding every possible support for the completion of this project.

I express my heartfelt gratitude towards my family and friends for valuable

suggestions and support .They have given me opportunity to work out informative
project .I would thank them for giving support, moral values and ideas.
 INDEX

 Introduction
 Education and Early Life
 Contribution towards constitution
 Few Facts About the Iron Man of India
 Bibliography
 INTRODUCTION

Date of Birth: 31 October 1875

Place of Birth: Nadiad, Bombay Presidency (present day Gujarat)
Parents: Zaverbhai Patel (father) and Ladbai (mother)
Spouse: Jhaverba
Children: Maniben Patel, Dahyabhai Patel
Education: N. K. High school, Petlad; Inns of Court, London, England
Association: Indian National Congress
Movement: Indian Independence Struggle
Political Ideology: Moderate, Right-wing
Religious Beliefs: Hinduism
Publications: Ideas of a Nation: Vallabhai Patel, The Collected Works of
Vallabhbhai Patel, 15 volumes
Passed Away: 15 December 1950
Memorial: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is a revered name in Indian politics. A lawyer and a

political activist, he played a leading role during the Indian Independence
 Movement. After independence, he was crucial in the integration of over 500
princely states into the Indian Union. He was deeply influenced by Gandhi’s
ideology and principles, having worked very closely with leader. Despite being
the choice of the people, on the request of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel
stepped down from the candidacy of Congress President, which ultimately
turned out to be the election to choose the first Prime Minister of independent
India. He was the first Home Minister of Independent India and his
uncompromising efforts towards consolidation of the country earned him the
title ‘Iron Man of India’.

Education and Early Life

Patel travelled to attend schools in Nadiad, Petlad, and Borsad, living self-
sufficiently with other boys. He reputedly cultivated a stoic character. A popular
anecdote recounts that he lanced his own painful boil without hesitation, even as
the barber charged with doing it trembled.[13] When Patel passed his matriculation
at the relatively late age of 22, he was generally regarded by his elders as an
unambitious man destined for a commonplace job. Patel himself, though,
harboured a plan to study to become a lawyer, work and save funds, travel to
England, and become a barrister. Patel spent years away from his family, studying
on his own with books borrowed from other lawyers, passing his examinations
within two years. Fetching his wife Jhaverba from her parents' home, Patel set up
his household in Godhra and was called to the bar. During the many years it took
him to save money, Patel – now an advocate – earned a reputation as a fierce and
skilled lawyer. The couple had a daughter, Maniben, in 1904 and a son, Dahyabhai,
in 1906. Patel also cared for a friend suffering from the Bubonic plague when it
swept across Gujarat. When Patel himself came down with the disease, he
immediately sent his family to safety, left his home, and moved into an isolated
house in Nadiad (by other accounts, Patel spent this time in a dilapidated temple);
there, he recovered slowly.[15]
Patel practised law in Godhra, Borsad, and Anand while taking on the financial
burdens of his homestead in Karamsad. Patel was the first chairman and founder
of "Edward Memorial High School" Borsad, today known as Jhaverbhai Dajibhai
Patel High School. When he had saved enough for his trip to England and applied
for a pass and a ticket, they were addressed to "V. J. Patel," at the home of his
elder brother Vithalbhai, who had the same initials as Vallabhai. Having once
nurtured a similar hope to study in England, Vithalbhai remonstrated his younger
brother, saying that it would be disreputable for an older brother to follow his
younger brother. In keeping with concerns for his family's honour, Patel allowed
Vithalbhai to go in his place.
In 1909 Patel's wife Jhaverba was hospitalised in Bombay (now Mumbai) to
undergo major surgery for cancer. Her health suddenly worsened and, despite
successful emergency surgery, she died in the hospital. Patel was given a note
informing him of his wife's demise as he was cross-examining a witness in court.
According to witnesses, Patel read the note, pocketed it, and continued his cross-
examination and won the case. He broke the news to others only after the
proceedings had ended. Patel decided against marrying again. He raised his
children with the help of his family and sent them to English-language schools in
Mumbai. At the age of 36 he journeyed to England and enrolled at the Middle
Temple Inn in London. Completing a 36-month course in 30 months, Patel finished
at the top of his class despite having had no previous college background.
Returning to India, Patel settled in Ahmedabad and became one of the city's most
successful barristers. Wearing European-style clothes and sporting urbane
mannerisms, he became a skilled bridge player. Patel nurtured ambitions to
expand his practice and accumulate great wealth and to provide his children with a
modern education. He had made a pact with his brother Vithalbhai to support his
entry into politics in the Bombay Presidency, while Patel remained in Ahmedabad
to provide for the family.
 CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS CONSTITUION

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played a decisive role in the Constituent Assembly and
remained the moving spirit behind some of the landmark provisions of Indian
principles.
Patel, a man of action, spoke only when necessary in the Constituent Assembly,
yet his impact on the Constitution was much wider than his intervention in the
debates.
He played an important role in the selection of members of the drafting
committee. He took a strong stand for or against Jawaharlal Nehru on key issues
such as fundamental rights, the position of the prime minister, the election
procedure of the President and the status of Kashmir. "The Iron Man so dominated
the assembly that the Constitution which emerged from it bore his stamp and
could be aptly called the Patel Constitution," says Dr P M Chopra, chief editor of
the Collected Works of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
This special volume of the 15-part series portrays Patel as the maker of the Indian
Constitution. Some of the basic tenets of the Constitution, particularly the
balancing of fundamental rights with the maintenance of law and order in the
state, and the reservation of a whole set of citizens rights as non-justiciable
directives of the state were evolved by Patel.
Dr Chopra says Patel's predilection for a strong Centre and his anxiety to
guarantee the privileges of the princes is reflected in the Constitution. He also
dispensed with separate electorates and seat reservations for the minorities with
the unanimous consent of their leaders.
Just as Manu, a brahmin gave the Hindus their first code, Vallabhbhai ensured that
Dr B R Ambedkar, a harijan, piloted the basic law of new India. He was also
instrumental for the entry of eminent jurists like B N Rau, K M Munshi, Alladi
Krishnaswami Aiyar and Gopalaswami Ayyangar into the Assembly. "Not only did
Patel see that Ambedkar was appointed law minister but ensured that he
completed his tenure despite Nehru's wish to drop him at one point," points out
Dr Chopra.
After adopting the 'Objectives Resolution', moved by Nehru, the Constituent
Assembly appointed an advisory committee under Patel on January 24, 1947. The
committee dealt with the rights of citizens, minorities, tribal and excluded areas.
Patel presented the committee's recommendations on political safeguards for
minorities sans separate electorates on August 27. The recommendations were
accepted in the Assembly the following day.
Dr Chopra points out that the Sardar's interventions in the Constituent Assembly
during the debates were few, but forceful.
On October 10, 1949, Patel defended the inclusion of Article 283-A (incorporated
in the Constitution as Article 314) which gave constitutional guarantee to the
terms and privileges granted to ICS officers opting for service in Independent India.
Two days later, during a debate on Article 211A (which was renumbered 238 only
to be repealed later), Patel outlined a concept of people's polity which replaced
the rulers polity in states acceding to the Union and defended privy purses.
On October 14, he denied any breach of promise about reservations in services to
the Sikhs in a debate on Article 296 (renumbered 335), which accommodated
scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in the services.
A month later, Patel explained the division of the Sirohi state between Bombay
and Rajasthan on the basis of the schedule listing of states and territories.
The author says, subsequently, Patel only spoke twice--on November 26 to
announce the acceptance of the Constitution by the states, and on January 24,
1950, to felicitate Dr Rajendra Prasad on being election as the first President of
India.
In an Assembly debate on the interim report on fundamental rights moved by
Patel on April 29, 1947, H N Kunzru and Somnath Lahiri said it was difficult to make
a fine distinction on justiciable rights and rights that did not fall in that category.
"Indians had found that a government which does not depend on the people and
rules the country by means of force, detaining people without trial, without a
judicial process," commented Lahiri. He added that these were fundamental rights
from a police constable's view and not that of a free and fighting nation.
Professor N G Ranga, however, complimented the 'charter of fundamental rights'
saying the clauses were intended to see that those who believed in liberalism at
one end and Communism at the other could not take advantage of the rights to
pave way for totalitarianism.
In his reply, the Sardar said there were two schools of thought -- one advocating
the inclusion of as many rights as possible in the report and the other seeking to
restrict it to only those considered as fundamental. "Between the two schools,
finally a mean was drawn," says Dr Chopra.
Patel piloted a model Constitution for the provinces in the Assembly on July 15,
1947 which contained the limited powers of governor, instructing him to report to
the President about any grave situation arising in the province.
Patel clarified it was not the intention to let the governor exercise that power
which could bring the provincial ministry in conflict with the governor's office.
Enumerating the other special features of the model Constitution, he said one
such aspect was the many checks provided to ensure fair appointments in the high
court. The judges were to be appointed by the President in consultation with the
chief justice of the Supreme Court, the chief justice of the provincial high court and
the governor with the advice of the provincial ministry.
On August 30, Patel presented the directive principles of state policy at the
Assembly. Though not cognisable by any court of law, the directive principles were
fundamental in the governance of the country.
On October 12, 1949, he outlined the concept of people's polity to replace the
rulers polity in states acceding to the Indian Union; and a special status for Jammu
and Kashmir.
About a month later, the Sardar announced in the House, "All the nine states,
specified in part B of the first schedule of the Constitution, including the state of
Hyderabad, have signified their acceptance of the Constitution."
 15 facts about Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel

 Fact 1 – Integration of 562 princely states into the Republic of India

Diplomacy, negotiations and his great foresight helped Sardar Patel integrate the
numerous princely states into the Indian Union without bloodshed. His efforts in
uniting a scattered nation live on as his biggest legacy, where his powers of
persuasion and his statesmanship came into full play.

 Fact 2 – Contributions to the Constituent Assembly

Sardar Patel played an important role in the selection of members of the drafting
committee. He took a strong stand on key issues such as fundamental rights, the
position of the prime minister, the election procedure of the President and the
status of Kashmir. He worked to ensure that the princely states accepted the
constitution of India – a pivotal step towards unification of India.

 Fact 3 – The founder of Modern All India Services

Sardar Patel was instrumental in the founding the Indian Administrative Service
and the Indian Police Service. He ensured the defence of Indian civil servants from
political attack and is remembered as the "patron saint" of India's services.

 Fact 4 – The protector of Kashmir

In September of 1947, when Pakistan attempted to invade Kashmir, Sardar Patel
ruthlessly protected Kashmir from Pakistan. Nehru passed on reports to Patel that
forces in Pakistan were “making preps to enter Kashmir in large numbers”. On
October 26, at a meeting held in Nehru’s house, Patel promised Mehr Chand
Mahajan, the Prime Minister of Maharaja Hari Singh, that India will extend her
unwavering support to Kashmir.
  Fact 5 – A strong leader of the Non-cooperation Movement
During the Non-Cooperation Movement he toured the country and recruited
300,000 members and collected Rs 15 lakhs towards the party fund. His support to
the Non-cooperation movement and Gandhian ideals of satyagraha, aided by his
oratory skills – short but straight from the heart, would mark the beginning of
mass participation in the Indian freedom struggle.
 Fact 6 – The ‘Sardar’ of Indian satyagraha in absence of Gandhiji
He led the Satyagraha in Nagpur in 1923 against the British law banning the
hoisting of the Indian flag. He was a great orator, leader and unifier who in the
absence of Mahatmaji kept the spirits of the satyagraha. Patel negotiated a
settlement, which involved the release of prisoners and hoisting of the national
flag in public.

 Fact 7 – A strong voice against untouchability, caste discrimination and a

voice for emancipation of women
In 1922 a session of the Indian National Congress, when Sardar Patel a separate
enclosure for the Dalits, instead of occupying a seat earmarked for him in the main
enclosure, he straightway proceeded to the enclosure meant for Dalits and sat
there and delivered his speech from that enclosure.
During the Bardoli Satyagraha, Sardar Patel consulted with large number of
women to prepare the strategy of the Satyagraha and brought them into the
lexicon of politics. Sardar Patel’s support to the Hindu Code Bill brought out his
commitment to the rights of women and their empowerment, by ensuring every
citizen was treated equal.

 Fact 8 – The strongest advocate of Secular India

In June 1947, when he was suggested that India should be declared a Hindu state,
with Hinduism as the official religion, Sardar Patel rejected the suggestion. Sardar
Patel strongly endorsed Mahatmaji’s vision for a Secular India, and said “we must
not forget that there are other minorities whose protection is our primary
responsibility “. In 1950, he declared that “Ours is a secular state and we cannot
fashion our politics in the way Pakistan is doing it. Here every Muslim should feel
that he is an Indian citizen and has equal rights as an Indian “.
  Fact 9 – Iron fist against the perpetrators of Mahatmaji’s assassination
Sardar Patel banned the RSS after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. In a letter
to Shyama Prasad Mukherjee written on 18 July, 1948, Sardar Patel said “as [a]
result of the activities of these two bodies [the RSS and Hindu Mahasabha],
particularly the former, an atmosphere was created in the country in which such a
ghastly tragedy became possible. There is no doubt in my mind the extreme
section of Hindu Mahasabha was involved in this conspiracy. The activities of the
RSS constituted a clear threat to the existence of the Government and the State.

 Fact 10 – A strong voice for communal harmony and against violence

In 1949, a mob descended upon the Babri Masjid, chased away the muezzin,
installed an idol of Ram in an attempt to claim it as a temple. Sardar Patel wrote to
the then chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, GB Pant, that “there can be no question
of resolving such disputes by force”. Patel opined that “such matters can be
resolved peacefully if we take the willing consent of the Muslim community with
us”

 Fact 11 – Building of the party machinery in the struggle for freedom

Mahatmaji gave the Congress a programme for broad-based action. Sardar Patel
built up the Party machinery to carry out that programme, ensuring the wide
participation of masses. He realised the pivotal role of a party machinery in the
struggle for freedom, something that went unnoticed before him. He realised this
need during his campaigns and devoted his organisational talents and energy to
building up the strength of the Party which could now fight in an organised and
effective manner.

 Fact 12 – The fight for self-rule

In the fight for self-rule Sardar Patel’s contributions began when he became the
sanitation commissioner of Ahmedabad in 1917. He then became the Municipal
President in 1922, 1924, 1927. He ensured electricity supply and educational
reforms came to Ahmedabad, with the limited resources and power at his
disposal.
  Fact 13 – The farmer’s Sardar
His devotion to work for the farmers' rights gave Patelji the title "Sardar". In 1918,
he led the 'No Tax Campaign' and urged the farmers not to pay taxes after the
British imposed heavy taxes after the floods in Kaira. In 1928, the farmers of
Bardoli again faced massive tax hikes and the government seized their lands in
retaliation when farmers were unable to pay the heavy taxes. After negotiations
by Patel, the lands were returned to farmers.

 Fact 14 – The saviour of refugees, weak and marginalised

In the intense violence that ensued as a consequence of partition of India in 1947
Sardar Patel led organising of relief camps, providing emergency supplies, and
visited border areas to encourage peace.

 Fact 15 – Foresight and vision

The first Gujarati typewriter was commissioned by Sardar Patel in 1924 for the
Ahmedabad municipality. He also stood for the transformation of the country into
an industrial power. Sardar Patel aided the setting up of a public health laboratory
within Dudheshwar waterworks at Shahibaugh.

Glimpses of Sardar Patel

Statue of Unity built in honour of Sardar patel.

Sardar’s mother with his Five Sons

Sardar’s meeting with the industrialists

Sardar giving speech
 Bibliography

 https://m.rediff.com/freedom/22patel.htm
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vallabhbhai_Patel
 https://www.inc.in/en/in-focus/15-facts-to-know-why-sardar-patel-
is-called-the-iron-man-of-india
 www.pinterest.com
 www.images.google.com
 www.scribd.com