At his book launch, author Hindol Sengupta shared facts about Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's often forgotten role in the freedom struggle, and seeks reassessment of history in present times
History needs to be reassessed and there is a need for a Patelian perspective to history, said Hindol Sengupta, author of 'The Man Who Saved India – Sardar Patel and his idea of India'. In his book, Sengupta has portrayed Patel's role in the freedom struggle and the making of India, as a contribution that has often been ignored in favour of glorifying the roles of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. The book was launched in the city on Monday by Union Cabinet Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani at an event held at the Ahmedabad Management Association.
Irani read out a paragraph from the book: "Sardar Patel was five feet five inches. Mahatma Gandhi was five feet three inches. Subhas Chandra Bose was five feet five inches tall and Jawaharlal Nehru five feet eight inches. His teacher asks, what does this tell us? That history belongs to the tall. Which means that as a student, the earliest memory we would have of Patel is very limited because not many of our history books have done him an honour of actually describing how he went about as an Indian not only as a leader or nationalist but to keep this nation together. Little did the teacher realize that one day, her student would write a book on the tallest leader India ever had – Sardar Patel."
In his book, the author recalls history textbooks and instances about Patel. But Hindol is prompt enough to admit that perhaps the books neglected telling him about Patel. He says, "To give Patel credit is not to diminish the unifying power of Gandhi's message or even some of the modernist visions of Nehru. It is to fill a knowledge gap in what ought to be a natural trinity. While most Indians know far more about Gandhi and Nehru and their contributions towards making the nation, few would immediately, in the same breath, give equal recognition to Patel. Such acknowledgment is eminently due and it is a shame that it has never been adequately given."
He further adds that the Patelian idea of India would be pragmatic and would be aware of the security challenges that India is facing.
Patel did not construct Article 370
Citing another misleading fact about Patel, Hindol, at the event said, "People say that it was Patel who constructed Article 370 that gives autonomous status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is wrong. He did not construct Article 370."
Adding to the same, Irani said, "BR Ambedkar refused to be party to Article 370. The book clearly mentions that the decision was taken by Nehru with an officer and he gave responsibility to Patel to convince people. Looking at the current wave of politics, we find a genetic reflection. Where, in the history of our country, did these little elements get suppressed?"
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