FROM 562 TO BECOMING ONE: REMEMBERING SARDAR PATEL'S VISION OF MODERN INDIA

The celebration of National Unity Day is incomplete without remembering the legacy left by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. One of the most towering figures in Indian history, he is often known as the Iron Man of India, India's Bismarck, and the Modern Ashoka. These titles may seem grand, but they truly reflect his remarkable vision of uniting the fragmented landscape of over 560 princely states into one union.

- Amit Kapoor Sheen Zutshi

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's brilliance was in recognizing that integration of India was a complex undertaking. Throughout her history, India faced recurring challenges for political unity. Past empires, such as the Mauryan and Mughal Empires, temporarily united regions but often fell apart after the fall of powerful rulers. As British rule ended, the country faced dual challenges as the government of independent India had to deal with the partition of India's Dominion into two sovereign countries - India and Pakistan - which resulted in blood baths and mass migrations.

Another challenge Independent India faced was dealing with the fact that it emerged from the shadows of colonial rule with the presence of over 560 princely states that held their autonomy. Whether these states would join India or remain independent posed a substantial challenge. Sardar Patel anticipated that this risked repeating India's fragmented history without a unified political structure. So, his mission was clear: the focus was to integrate princely states into a single Union.

The State Department was established on 27 June, 1947, with Sardar Patel and Abdur Rab Nishtar leading its two divisions. Sardar Patel appointed V.P. Menon as the Secretary of his section. Once the State Department was formed, its biggest challenge was the integration of princely states into the new dominion of India. Patel's diplomatic genius lay in convincing these rulers that their interests lay in joining the Indian Union while ensuring a smooth transition that wouldn't destabilise the newly independent nation. His efforts were diplomatic and crucial for establishing stability and national unity, achieving what had eluded the subcontinent for centuries.