Governor pays rich tributes to Sardar Patel

Vijayawada: Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan paid rich tributes to Bharat Ratna Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the occasion of his 146th birth anniversary at a programme held at Durbar Hall in Raj Bhavan on Sunday by offering floral tributes to his portrait.

Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is observed as the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day every year and the country can never forget Sardar Patel's great contribution for the country.

"When we got our independence, the then British government hatched a conspiracy to allow the 556 princely States to remain independent, and at that time Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Iron Man of India, with his iron hands he could integrate all these States with India, otherwise there could have been a disintegrated India," the Governor pointed out.

There were so many hurdles before him, but Sardar Patel who was the then Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, adopted all tactics like Sama, Dana, Bheda, Danda - that led to merger of all the princely States with India.

Even at the time of Hyderabad's merger with India, Nizam wanted to be an independent State, which would have made it a separate country and Sardar Patel ordered for police action, and compelled the Nizam of Hyderabad to surrender and sign the agreement of accession, said the Governor.

He said had it not been for Sardar Patel, Hyderabad and many other princely States would have remained independent countries inside India. In Odisha also there were 26 princely States and Sri Harekrushna Mahatab, the then Chief Minister of Odisha, invited Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to Odisha, who had warned the princely States that they will not get any protection, if they do not agree to merge with Odisha, after which all the 26 princely States merged with Odisha, said the Governor.

With the initiative launched by Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi during his term as Chief Minister of Gujarat, the tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was erected in his native State of Gujarat, in the honour of the great leader, which now stands as a symbol of Unity of India, said Governor Harichandan.