Sardar Patel in Cartoons

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875-1950) ranks as one of the foremost leader and Statesman India has ever produced. He along-with Gandhiji and Jawaharlal Nehru was mainly responsible for giving shape to the destiny of the country during the freedom struggle and in the early years after the attainment of Independence. Sardar Patel’s greatest contribution was the unification of the country into one united whole in a remarkable manner. Sardar Patel was a flourishing criminal lawyer when he met Gandhiji in 1916 jumped in the freedom struggle. Thereafter, he never looked back and participated in all the movements led by Gandhiji. In 1931 Sardar Patel was elected President of the Indian National Congress. The Quit India Movement of 1942 found him in Ahmedanagar Fort Prison from where he and his comrades were released in 1945. The succeeding years were full of efforts and negotiations with the British Government which led to India’s Independence in August 1947 when he took over a Deputy Prime Minister, Home Minister and Minister of Information and Broadcasting as well as Minister of States. His achievements in these Ministries brought him renown as the most practical statesman India has ever produced. A man of Iron will, Sardar Patel, as Minister Incharge of States dealt with the complex question of 560 and odd princely states in a masterly manner and almost within a year, he redrew the map of India with every such States joining the Indian Union and forming part of the political and cultural life of the mainstream. It is a feat unparalled in the history of the world. As V. Shankar, Sardar Patel’s Principal Private Secretary observed “Today, whatever may be disruptive forces that threaten the country, the political solidarity and integrity established by Sardar’s statesmanship still holds”. Even if the Sardar has not done anything else other than this unification of the country, his name would have been written in letters of gold in Indian History. After unification of the country Sardar’s attention was focused on consolidating the economy of the Country by ensuring maximum production for which he advocated liberalization also. On Administrative side he brought out reforms in “the Steel Frame” as the “Indian Civil Services” was called which was disrupted during partition. He evolved two new Services viz. the Indian Administrative Services and Indian Police Services to take place of former Indian civil and Police Services and advised them to maintain “highest standard of integrity”. The present volume on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Cartoons is singular effort to present Sardar Patel’s multifarious achievements through a cartoonist eyes.