On 31st October, 2025, the President of India paid floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 150th birth anniversary at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

About Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, transformed a divided post-Partition India into a united nation through vision, diplomacy, and iron will. 
• His legacy continues to guide India’s unity, governance, and administrative integrity even today.
• National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas) is observed on October 31 to honour Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s vision of a united India and the ideal of “Unity in Diversity.”

Sardar Patel’s Contribution to National Integration and Nation-Building

• Political Integration of Princely States: Patel unified over 560 princely states into the Indian Union through persuasion, tact, and firmness, preventing disintegration. His strategic approach involving:
• • Sama (Persuasion): Along with V. P. Menon, he convinced rulers to sign the Instrument of Accession, transferring Defence, Foreign Affairs, and Communications to India.
  • Dama (Incentive): He offered Privy Purses and constitutional guarantees to ensure peaceful integration.
  • Danda (Force): Used decisive action when persuasion failed —
    • Junagadh (1948): Integrated via police action and referendum after the Nawab joined Pakistan.
    • Hyderabad (1948): Annexed through Operation Polo, ending the Nizam’s secessionist attempt and Razakar violence.
  • Outcome: Within two years of Independence, Patel achieved territorial, political, and civilisational unity, converting a map of princely fragments into a united republic.
• Promoting Unity in Diversity: Patel viewed India’s diversity as divine design, asserting that “India must live as one family.”
• • Inclusive Nationalism: He believed that a united India must embrace religious, linguistic, and cultural plurality.
  • Shield Against Fragmentation: His inclusive idea of nationalism continues to protect India from communal and regional divides, laying the foundation for secular democratic governance.
• Administrative and Institutional Foundations: Patel established the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) as impartial, merit-based institutions serving the Constitution above politics.
• • Pillars of Continuity: These services became the steel frame of India, ensuring discipline, stability, and administrative continuity in a young democracy.
  • Guardians of Unity: The Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) embody Patel’s vision of internal peace and security as the cornerstone of national strength.
• Social and Cultural Integration: Patel acknowledged the role of women as carriers of unity through festivals, traditions, and community life.
• • Emotional Cohesion: Their empathy and participation sustain the spirit of togetherness that Patel envisioned as India’s social foundation.
• Revival and Contemporary Relevance: The 182-metre Statue of Unity (2018) in Kevadia, Gujarat, stands as a monumental tribute to Patel’s nation-building vision.
• • Institutional Continuity: Initiatives such as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat reinforce emotional and cultural integration across states.
  • Cooperative Federalism: His belief in Centre–State partnership remains central to India’s governance model and developmental policies.
  • Timeless Message: Patel’s ideals of justice, fairness, and empathy continue to guide India in an era of global fragmentation and political polarisation.

Conclusion

Patel viewed India’s diversity as a divine design, uniting many streams into one nation. His vision of unity and moral strength continues to guide India’s institutions, citizens, and spirit, reminding all to “forget caste and creed, remember you are Indian.

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