Sir — This refers to the article, “Nehruvians discredited modern India’s builder” (October 28) by A Surya Prakash. The writer has eloquently stated that the Congress had kept Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in oblivion with a view to promoting the Nehru-Gandhi family legacy. Sardar Patel was the Iron Man of India because he integrated 553 princely Indian States into the Indian Union. Only Jammu & Kashmir was Jawaharlal Nehru’s responsibility, and he messed it up.
Such was the domination of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that even more deserving national leaders such as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and BR Ambedkar were neglected. Even the non-Congress Minister in Nehru’s Cabinet, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, had to resign due to Nehru’s intransigence.
The writer also correctly highlighted the fact that, out of the 15 Pradesh Congress Committee votes, Nehru drew a blank, while Patel bagged 12 votes; three were absentees. Even then, Nehru was elected the party leader and Prime Minister at the behest of Mahatma Gandhi.