Celebrating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s legacy

On Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 71st death anniversary today, 15 December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to India's first home minister.

About India’s unifier

Born in Nadiad, Gujarat on October 31, 1875, Patel finished his schooling in 1897, following which he decided to pursue a course in Law.
Popularly called as the ‘Iron Man of India’, Patel was a leader of the Congress party, a lawyer by profession.
He was India's first home minister and also the first deputy prime minister, and as the first home minister and deputy prime minister of India.
He is credited largely with the unification of the princely states in India after independence from the British.
Sardar Patel passed away in 1950 in Mumbai (then Bombay) on December 15.

Association with Gandhi

Patel was a prominent presence in all the protests and satyagra has against the British, during which his association with Mahatma Gandhi began to grow.
In his entire political career, Patel accepted the leadership and ways of Gandhi during the independence struggle.

National Unity Day

His birthday on October 31 is celebrated as National Unity day or Ekta Diwas to honour his contributions in unifying India.

Statue of Unity

To mark his significance during the independence struggle and his contributions to independent India, PM Modi inaugurated the Statue of Unity, a colossal statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on October 31, 2018.