Jairam Ramesh Pays Tribute to Sardar Patel, Highlights His Enduring Legacy on 150th Birth Anniversary
Congress leader recalls Patel’s deep bond with Nehru and Indira Gandhi’s tribute, urges respect for truth in remembering India’s Iron Man.
New Delhi, Oct 31 : As India marks the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh reflected on the “Iron Man’s” enduring legacy and cautioned against political attempts to distort historical truth.
Taking to social media platform X, Ramesh revisited defining moments that captured Patel’s stature in India’s history and his profound association with other key leaders of the freedom movement.
He recalled February 13, 1949, when then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru unveiled Sardar Patel’s statue in Godhra the town where Patel began his legal career. Citing Nehru’s tribute, Ramesh wrote: “Very few people have a history of such long and remarkable service-work as Sardar Patel. Even today, he remains vital for the country and is shouldering a great responsibility… I recall my thirty years of friendship and close collaboration with him in national activities… Sardar Patel has emerged as an influential and guiding figure on the Indian scene, to whom countless people look for guidance.”
Ramesh also pointed to September 19, 1963, when President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan unveiled Patel’s statue near Parliament House, featuring an inscription chosen by Nehru himself: “Architect of India’s unity.”
He further mentioned former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s emotional speech during the closing ceremony of Patel’s birth centenary year in 1975, noting that her words continue to inspire the nation.
However, Ramesh expressed concern over what he termed the “open distortion of history” in recent years. “After 2014, history has been openly distorted, twisted, and perverted, particularly by G2 and their ecosystem,” he said. “To use these great personalities—selfless nation-builders for ideological gain must surely grieve them. An ideology that contributed neither to the freedom struggle nor the making of the Constitution, and which, in Sardar Patel’s own words, created an atmosphere that made the horrific tragedy of January 30, 1948, possible.”
Through his post, Ramesh urged citizens to honour Patel’s memory with truth and integrity, calling for recognition of his unparalleled contribution to national unity and the foundation of modern India.
