Book Name: HAD SARDAR PATEL BEEN THE FIRST PRIME MINISTER
Author: Justice SN Aggarwal
Publisher: Garuda Prakashan, Rs 599
Justice S N Aggarwal’s book is the answer to the question why a son of the soil who graduated with distinction from Britain’s Middle Temple was always given a raw deal by vested interests, writes Kumar Chellappan
Seventy one years after his demise, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel occupies prime position in the national narrative. Interestingly, the Sardar has been brought to mainstream discussion, since The Pioneer had carried a report in 2012 about the memoirs of late MKK Nair, a Madras cadre IAS officer of the 1947 batch who had close rapport with the Sardar since 1942. Nair was a civilian officer in the then British controlled Government, posted at Hyderabad. His expertise as a bridge player helped him establish friendship with the close relations of the then Nawab of Hyderabad. The junior Nawabs, during the game of bridge after their quota of ‘sundowners’ fed Nair with all palace secrets which were transmitted by the latter to Sardar Patel. It was the memoirs of Nair that revealed the greatness of Sardar Patel to our generation.
History books in our schools and colleges are silent about the Iron Man while they sing paeans to Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. That is highly reprehensible because the role of Sardar Patel in India’s freedom movement remains as important as that of Nehru. Even the fact that Patel was the choice of 12 out of 15 Pradesh Congress Committees in 1946 for the post of party president while Nehru polled a naught remained a secret till Durga Das came out with his thrilling account India From Curzon to Nehru and After. There was a concerted attempt by people in high places to cover up the great work done by the Sardar in the country’s freedom movement and in the unification of the princely States.
The first full scale volume on Sardar Patel was authored by V Shankar, private secretary to the former deputy Prime Minister. My Reminiscences of Sardar Patel, the two-volume work did published in 1974 by this ICS officer did not receive the attention it deserved though the materials recounted by him could have caused a political earthquake in India.
The second book on Patel was authored by Balraj Krishna, a well known journalist. Krishna’s 2005 work India’s Iron Man told the world about the unseen nature of the man with the stiff upper lip. The author has reproduced the words of Sir Hugh Garrett, ICS, who wrote a ‘short but sweet letter’ to Krishna in which he has said: “Of all Indians, I ever met, I place Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as the greatest”. Balraj Krishna belonged to that genre of writers who had direct access to the Sardar, which made him rarest of the rare journalist.
In most of the modern history works, Sardar Patel makes a brief appearance while Nehru is portrayed as the superstar. After reading the books like A Glimpse of World History, authored by Nehru, one gets the feeling that the first Prime Minister of India is an over rated character and his only advantage was that he had become a protegee of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation. Moreover, Motilal Nehru, his father, was always around to ensure his coronation as the ‘undisputed’, ‘unquestioned’ and ‘unchallenged’ leader. Those were the days when politics had titans like Sardar Patel, Rajagopalachari and Kamaraj to save the Indian National Congress from a total rout despite the efforts of certain section in the party to make it their family property.
The fact that there was an attempt by this cabal to distort history and belittle the role played by Sardar Patel has been proved beyond doubt by many instances. The person whom Mahatma Gandhi trusted and always turned for guidance and help in critical junctures was honoured by Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award only in 1991, more than four decades after his passing away. The Prime Minister who decided to honour the memories of the Sardar himself became a persona non grata in the Congress party. Interestingly, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi honoured themselves with the award in 1955 and 1971 respectively!
Fate chose a professional judge known for his integrity, honesty and intellectual brilliance to preside over the facts presented to the people of the country. Had Sardar Patel Been The First Prime Minister authored by S N Aggarwal, former judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court and published by Garuda is not just a book, but a verdict delivered by a professional judge and jurist. Justice Aggarwal, in his verdict (yes, that is what the book is) has pronounced that had the sardar been the first Prime Minister of the country as chosen by his party and people, India would have become a nation with self-respect, courage and elegance. From 1947 August 15 itself, India would have been adored and respected by the comity of global nations, says Justice Aggarwal in his judgment.
He has examined all the documentary evidences presented before him by historians and political commentators who never had any prejudice and whose minds were narrowed by family interests. The Justice sounds aghast at the way Nehru took over the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir on October 31, 1947, without informing Sardar Patel, who as the then Home Minister was in charge of that geographical entity. The Justice expresses his dismay as Nehru failed to make use of the United Nations Resolution of 13 August, 1948 that asked the Pakistani Army, tribal invaders and Pakistani nationals to leave the State of Jammu and Kashmir. The Prime Minister who rushed to the UN to complaint to the global community about Pakistan’s illegal annexation of J&K failed to make use of the 13 August 1948 resolution which was offered on a platter to India. In chapter 3 of the book, Justice Aggarwal explains how Nehru threatened his colleagues more than a dozen times that he would resign from the post of Prime Minister if Purushothamdas Tandon was elected as the AICC president. V Shankar, doubts Nehru did it with ulterior motives. Despite his nagging heart ailments, Sardar who was in his 70s, was working without any break and Nehru’s shenanigans were with an intention to harm him. “Since the setback in February 1950, Sardar Patel had been unable to enjoy the rest and peace of mind which might have made some difference to his flagging energy,” V Shankar quotes in his book and this has been reproduced by the Justice.
Justice Aggarwal points out that National Herald, the mouthpiece of the Nehru family, was an illegitimate product of corruption, bribery and misuse of power. Shankar himself had quoted about the Sardar’s uncompromising stance against Nehru misusing his official power to mobilise funds and resources for the daily which is enmeshed in legal wrangles thanks to Subramanian Swamy MP and of course a scoop report carried in The Pioneer in 2012.
Nehru’s son-in-law Feroz Gandhi, his cabinet colleague Rafi Ahmed Kidwai and many undesirable and dubious characters played major role in the National Herald scam from which Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and some Congress leaders are finding it difficult to come out without blemish.
Justice Aggarwal has undertaken a tedious research through the speeches and writings of Sardar Patel and analysed each and every sentences spoken by the Iron Man before coming to the conclusion that the latter was the real hero of India. The Sardar had warned Nehru about the impending attack by China on Tibet moths before it became a reality. The Communists in Nehru’s cartel had seen in Sardar Patel a major threat to their secret mission to break India and that’s why they targeted him and portrayed him as an obscurantist and reactionary. But providence always comes to help men of honesty in different forms. V P Menon and Shankar were divine interventions which Nehru and his comrade in arms failed to notice. But for these two prime witnesses and the documents existing in the national archives Patel would have gone long back from our hearts. Today, thanks to this initiative by Justice Aggarwal, the Iron Man stands 182 meters tall, the tallest presiding deity in the world. Those who humiliated and insulted the Sardar and his memory should undertake a pilgrimage to this statue as an act of atonement.
Those who fail to read Had Sardar Patel Been The First Prime Minister by Justice Aggarwal will certainly fail to understand the real India. The book is an undisputable work and a judgment which would remain unchallenged in any courts of appeal. Hats off to Justice SN Aggarwal for his painstaking efforts and he has delivered a fantastic verdict. This book is the answer to the question why a son of the soil who graduated with distinction from Britain’s Middle Temple was always given a raw deal by vested interests. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was born great and he was destined to take India forward which his critics did not like.