When India awakened to freedom in August 1947, it did not rise as a single, cohesive nation. The subcontinent was a complex map of over 560 princely states, each with its own ruler, currency, army, and internal administration. Many of these states were uncertain about joining the Indian Union, while others harboured ambitions of independence. In the midst of this political chaos stood one man—Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel—whose determination, foresight, and statesmanship transformed an uncertain geographical entity into a united political nation.

Today, almost eight decades later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has revived Sardar Patel’s unifying vision in both spirit and policy. Through national integration programmes, cultural celebrations, and development initiatives, Modi’s government has carried forward Patel’s ideals of unity, strength, and inclusiveness. Together, these two leaders—separated by time but bound by ideology—symbolise India’s continuous journey toward “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat" (One India, Great India).

Sardar Patel’s contribution to India’s nation-building remains unparalleled. As India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Patel was entrusted with the monumental challenge of integrating more than 560 princely states into the Indian Union. This task, which many believed impossible, was accomplished through his diplomatic skill, pragmatic leadership, and deep sense of national unity.

Using the Instrument of Accession, Patel and his secretary V.P. Menon set about the daunting task of negotiating with the princes, offering them fair terms while emphasising their duty to the newly independent India. Patel’s combination of persuasion and firmness—famously described as “the velvet glove over an iron hand"—convinced even reluctant rulers to join the Indian dominion.

The integration of princely states like Hyderabad, Junagadh, and Jammu & Kashmir demonstrated Patel’s sheer mastery of both strategy and statecraft. The Hyderabad operation, known as Operation Polo, in 1948 brought the Nizam’s state into the Indian Union within days, avoiding potential fragmentation. Patel’s actions ensured that India emerged from Partition not as a loose federation but as a strong, centralized modern republic.

Patel famously said, “Every Indian should forget that he is a Rajput, a Sikh, or a Jat. He must remember that he is an Indian." This vision, which urged Indians to transcend regional and sectarian loyalties, became the cornerstone of the Republic’s political stability.

India’s identity, as Patel foresaw, would never rest on homogeneity. The nation’s strength lay precisely in its diversity—linguistic, cultural, and religious. In his speeches, Patel often reminded Indians that unity was not the absence of diversity but the harmony within it.

India today embodies that very philosophy. From the........

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