Unique leaders

 October 31 is a special day indeed. On this day, we celebrate two unique leaders of our nation. Yes, on October 31, Sardar Vallabh Bhai  Patel was born. In fact, today is his hundred and fiftieth birth anniversary. I watched almost full the visually most appealing parade in memoriam. 

Simultaneously, October 31 is the death anniversary of Indira Gandhi. In our blog today, let us see if we can pay tributes to both these leaders, tall in their own ways.

Let me begin with Sardar Patel. It is often argued that the British made 'india' as earlier there were many small to big  'king-doms'. In my opinion, that credit goes to Sardar Patel. When the British or any other coloniser and/or invaders came, there always was the civilisational India, as J Sai Deepak and others of his ilk would argue. 

After Independence, however, it was Sardar Patel who truly crafted India out of the very many princely states. Tough job it was as we know, especially if we remember the Hyderabad Nizam and his Razakars, not to forget that wound called Kashmir  which continues to fester. 

Sardar Patel was special because he belonged to a high profile job and a lifestyle that suited it. Yet he had the unique ability to lead most successfully and definitively the peasant movements which gave our fight for independence a distinctive  contour. 

He was a resolute individual. I read an apocryphal story. It might be true, too. I would not know. He loved, it seems, his wife dearly. Quite some courageous activity those days! He was arguing a case in the court when a telegram reached him informing him of her death. He calmly read it, and continued his defence as his duty to the case needed it! 

Equally determined was Indira Gandhi in her own way. Bangla Desh, a thorn in our flesh now, is in a way her creation. A woman, the "goongi gudiya",  in the days of wily male politicians, she could establish herself as the only man in her cabinet!

Sure, the Emergency was a horrible mistake. Undoubtedly, certain of her decisions  such as the nationalisation of banks, which should have supported the co-operative movement, backfired badly, and have affected the nation notoriously. 

Yet she was brave enough to deal with Bhindranwale head on. She did pay the price for it. The Sikh massacre in the aftermath of her assassination was simply horrible, rather like the ill treatment Brahmins faced in the days after the Gandhi assassination. 

Well, in hindsight, it is always easy to sit in judgement! Instead, why not admire statesmen like Sardar Patel, and learn the right lessons from both these truly tall leaders?

Pratima@As it is the hundred and fiftieth year of 'Vande Mataram', the national song, I am going to request my brother, Sanju, to play it on his flute. He plays the flute real well. May be, my nephew, Kunal, would join his father on the guitar which he plays brilliantly. May be, in the meanwhile, let me try it on my banjo! Hope it turns out to be 'safe on ears'!