Sardar Patel's Legacy: How the 'Sardar of Bardoli' Forged a United India

Addressing a large gathering at the Sardar Gatha event, held as part of the Sardar@150 National Unity March, which reached its final leg in Vadodara district, Governor Devvrat said that any community that remembers the history of its ancestors remains forever alive.

He reminded the audience, many of whom were farmers, that their ancestors, too, were agriculturists who had endured tremendous hardship under British rule.

Explaining the backdrop of the 'Bardoli Satyagraha', he noted that in 1928, when farmers were already struggling due to failed monsoons and lack of basic infrastructure such as canals, electricity, and roads, the British administration cruelly raised land revenue taxes from 3–4 per cent to as high as 22 per cent, with some farmers being slapped with 60 per cent tax.

"When they could not pay, the colonial government seized their cattle and land. It was in this moment of crisis that Vallabhbhai Patel stepped forward, leaving behind his successful legal career to devote himself to the farmers' cause," the Governor said.

Patel travelled village to village in Bardoli, organising farmers, instilling confidence, and uniting them under a common resolve, Acharya Devvrat said.

"Thanks to his leadership, the farming community, especially women, stood firm despite British intimidation. Their unshakeable unity earned Vallabhbhai the title ‘Sardar’, bestowed upon him by the women of Bardoli," the Governor shared.

The British administration was ultimately forced to roll back the tax to 6.3 per cent, marking a historic win that reignited India's national movement, he said.

The Governor also highlighted Sardar Patel's monumental contribution after Independence, when he integrated 562 princely states into the Indian Union with remarkable resolve and diplomacy, including the complex cases of Junagadh and Hyderabad.

He said that although Jammu and Kashmir remained unresolved for decades, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, another 'son of Gujarat', fulfilled Sardar Patel's vision of national integration by abrogating Article 370.

"Wherever Sardar Patel's soul is today, it must be at peace," he said.

Governor Devvrat added that the 182-metre Statue of Unity at Kevadia, now visited by people from across the country, stands as a proud symbol of India's unity and the ideals that Patel lived for.

Calling it an honour to participate in the 150th birth anniversary march of a man who dedicated his entire life to the nation, the Governor said, "This sacred land of Gujarat gave birth to a great soul who lived the mantra of 'Rashtraya Swaha', which translates to 'Everything is dedicated to the nation'."

janvi/svn

- IANS