Thread by @UnofficialBapu

Journey of Sardar: From Gandhi hater to his biggest soldier

We know the partnership of Sardar and Gandhi in our Independence movement but do you know what Vallabhbhai Patel said about Gandhi and his Satyagraha or Ahimsa when he met him for the first time?

[THREAD 🧵]

The story begins when Vallabhbhai Patel heard about a leader, Mahatma Gandhi his reaction to this was “We already have too many mahatmas” & when he heard that the Mahatma believed that India can gain Independence from Satyagraha and Ahimsa, Patel laughed and made others laugh.

Even more with his ridicule of the “crank” and sarcasm about Gandhi's “brilliant ideas.”

Patel also laughed when Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel met for the first time. When Gandhiji reached Gujarat Club (where Vallabhbhai used to play bridge) Mavlankar, who had been watching...+

Patel in action on the bridge table. As soon as Mavlankar saw Gandhi coming he got up.

Patel: Mavlankar, where are you going? Why have you got up?

Mavlankar: Look, here is Gandhi coming.

Patel: So what? You'll learn more if you watch our game. I can tell you what he'll say. He will ask you if you know how to sift pebbles from wheat. And that is supposed to bring independence.

(Source: Mavlankar to F. Watson, quoted in Watson, Trial of Mr Gandhi, pp 71)

The question that arises from here is how Patel turned into Satyagrahi when he called Gandhi a “crank”.

In April 1917, an event occurred in #Champaran Bihar, where indigo plantation workers invited Gandhiji, the workers alleged unfair treatment by their European masters.

Gandhi was studying the situation when W. B. Heycock, district magistrate, ordered him to leave district.

Gandhiji replied:
“I feel it to be my duty to say that I am unable to leave this district, but if it pleases the authorities I shall [suffer] the penalty of disobedience. +

I have disregarded the order served upon me in obedience to the higher law of our being, the voice of conscience.”

(Source: CWMG, Vol.13, pp375)

When these types of words reached in Gujarat Club, Rao Harilalbhai Bhai “shot up from his chair” and said: “Mavlankar, here is a man, a hero, a brave man! We must have him as our (Gujarat Sabha’s) president.” As Mavlankar would recall, Vallabhbhai “immediately concurred”.

This was the first time when Patel and Gujarat Sabha were impressed by Gandhiji and Rao Bahadur Harillbhai suggested and requested Gandhi to accept the #Gujarat Sabha's presidentship.

(Source: Watson, Trial of Mr Gandhi, pp. 71-2)

Now Montague, the new secretary of state, India wanted to visit India and Gandhiji proposed a signature campaign and the leaders of #Congress agreed with that. Signatures were collected for Montague's memorandum for Swaraj. Gandhi also suggested memorandum in local languages.

Vallabhbhai was impressed by this and also took part in the campaign. From Vallabhbhai's speech in that campaign: “I felt that Gandhi’s ten lines had greater force than a hundred-page memorandum.”

(Source: Desai. Vir Vallabhbhai, pp. 19-20)

In month November 1917 Gandhiji and Patel came in direct contact for the first time when they both took part in the Gujarat Political Conference in Godhra. The Gujrat Sabha Convened it and Gandhi was presiding over it where they urged everyone to speak in Indian Languages.

He lost #Jinnah at this meeting for that request but won Vallabhbhai Patel for that.

Vallabhbhai agreed at Gandhi’s request to serve as secretary of the Gujarat Sabha's first executive committee, formed to enable the Sabha to have a year-round role.

As #Gandhi was soon to confess, Vallabhbhai seemed 'haughty' to him when they first met at Godhra and Gandhi wondered “whether he would be able to do what I wanted”, Gandhi also said afterwards “The more I came to know him, the more I realised that I must secure his help.”

As Narhari Parikh - Vallabhbhai’s friend and first biographer- puts it: “Vallabhbhai offered his services, much to Gandhiji’s delight. Thus did Vallabhbhai join Gandhi.”

He [Sardar] would recall in 1938: “When I joined Gandhiji, I collected some firewood, lit a fire and put all considerations of my family, my career, my reputation and everything into the fire. I do not know what would be left of all these except the ashes.”

Gandhiji's words after the movement: “A leader’s skill is judged by his competence in selecting his assistants. Many were prepared to follow me, but I could not make up my mind as to who should be my deputy commander. Then I thought of Vallabhbhai. +

I must admit that when I first met Vallabhbhai, I could not help wondering who this haughty person was and whether he would be able to do what I wanted... If it were not for his assistance, this campaign could not have been carried through, so successfully.”

After the success of the movement, Vallabhbhai Patel's words completely changed, when he met Gandhiji for the first time:

“Following India’s old custom, Mahatma Ji has handed me, the tribute offered to him. If truth be told, I have done nothing... +

+ Let me say, on behalf of my colleagues, that we would have accomplished nothing in this struggle if Kheda’s people had not themselves shown courage and forbearance.”

(Source: R. Patel, Hind Ke Sardar, pp 40)

As we saw, Sardar said about #MahatmaGandhi that “he was capable of converting the cowardly into the bravest”

(Source: Shankarlal Parikh quoted in Hardiman. Peasant Nationalists, p. 107)

Having joined Gandhi some months earlier, Patel now decided to obey him. “Living with him convinced me that India’s salvation lay only in treading the path shown by him,” he would say three years later - “living with him” is a key phrase.

Ending this thread with something #SardarPatel said on 2 October 1948 which we all need to know. He said,

“Today I see before me the whole picture of life ever since I joined Bapu's army. The love which Ba (Kasturba Gandhi) bore me I never experienced from my own mother. +

Whatever paternal love felt to my lot, I got from Bapu and Ba. Bapu gave life to a dead country. We were all soldiers in their camp. I have been referred to as the deputy prime minister. I never think of myself in these terms. Jawaharlal Nehru is my leader.

It is the duty of all Bapu's soldiers to carry out his bequest. Whoever doesn't do so from the heart in the proper spirit is a sinner before God. I'm not a disloyal soldier. I know only this much and I'm happy and satisfied that I still am where Bapu posted me.”