 Some people address Sardarvalabhai Patel as the Bismarck of India. For people who do not know, Bismarck was the chancellor of Germany who played an important role in the unification process of Germany. According to me, it is Bismarck who must be called the Sardarvalabhai Patel of Germany. Because the task performed by Patel far outweighs the task performed by Bismarck. Patel helped in the unification process of India and also prevented the Balkanization of India. So, in this short video, we will see the roles performed by Patel in the pre and post-initial period. See, Vallabhai Patel was born on 31st October 1875 in Nadiyad, Gujarat. He was a successful lawyer by profession. In 1918, Patel's life had encountered a turning point when he was chosen by Mahatma Gandhi as his deputy commander to lead the Kedah Satyagraha. This event has turned the trajectory of his life towards the path of public service. Know that Kedah Satyagraha was launched against the 23% tax increase by the British government. See, this tax was forced on the peasant-patidar community of Kedah despite a crop failure and outbreak of plague and cholera. This Satyagraha was successful as the British consented to minimize the tax raise and accepted to postpone the tax raise the following year. After that, Vallabhai Patel became increasingly involved with the struggle for India's independence. In 1928, Patel led the Bardoli Satyagraha. This demonstrated Sardar Vallabhai Patel's organizational capacities and tireless resolute. It was here he earned the title Sardar. Know that Bardoli Satyagraha was an agrarian movement to support the farmers of Bardoli, Gujarat. See, they were protesting against the unfair increase in taxes by the British government despite the situation of flood and famine. This movement was also successful as the British established the famous Maxwell-Broomfield Commission to investigate the matter and subsequently the tax percentage was reduced. Following the success of Bardoli Satyagraha, Vallabhai Patel had grew into a true national leader. In 1931, Patel had presided over the Indian National Congress session which was held in Karachi. It is in this session the resolution on fundamental rights was adopted. Another important event that occurred in session was the endorsement of Gandhian Irvind Pact. See, the Gandhian Irvind Pact was signed to ensure the participation of Indian National Congress in the second round table conference. It also stopped the civil disobedience movement in India temporarily. These are the some of the important roles played by Sardar Patel in the Indian National Movement. Now moving on, let us see his role in the integration of princely states in India. See, on 15th August 1947, Sardar Patel took oath as the first deputy prime minister as well as the first home minister of independent India. During that time, there were many challenges presented in front of him. Mainly, the problem of accession of princely states into India. See, in June 1947, Jodhpur attempted negotiations with Pakistan for better terms. But later on, with great efforts of Patel and after several meetings and negotiations, finally Jodhpur was integrated into India. Subsequently, in July 1947, Trivancore had announced that it would assert its right to remain independent. But due to Patel's diplomacy and statementship, eventually the Raja of Trivancore had accepted to integrate into India. Then comes Junagadh. See, the Nawab of Junagadh initially decided to join Pakistan even though the people of Junagadh opposed it. Finally, in February 1948, Junagadh was integrated into India with Sardar Patel's resolute efforts. Then comes Hyderabad. See, the Nizam of Hyderabad had initially signed agreement with the government of India to maintain a temporary status quo on accession. However, communal tensions and violence in Hyderabad state prompted Sardar Patel to take action. Then the Indian army was moved into Hyderabad under Operation Polo. This operation was mainly done to integrate Hyderabad into India. Finally, in September 1948, the Nizam announced a ceasefire and Hyderabad was absorbed into the Indian Union. Finally comes Jammu and Kashmir. See, Raja Hari Singh of Kashmir had been undecided about accession. However, in October 1947, when Kashmir came under the attack of Pakistan, the Raja sought assistance from India. Sardar Patel as the Home Minister extended the help of India and in return, Raja Hari Singh signed the instrument of accession with India. Due to these efforts, Sardar Patel has earned the title of Iron Man of India. It is due to the efforts of Mr. Sardar Patel, India maintained internal stability in the initial years of its formation. This is why the National Unity Day or the Rashtriya Ekta Divas is celebrated every year on October 31 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhai Patel. To learn more about India's national movement and also about the towering leaders of India's national movement, listen to Daily Hindu News Analysis by Shankar A. Sakadami. And to get more updates regarding UPC preparation, subscribe to Shankar A. Sakadami's YouTube channel. Thank you.