Sardar Patel: A visionary on Global Affairs

Sardar Patel: A visionary on Global Affairs

·         Vallabhbhai nursed the hope that one day Pakistan would come back

·         If Jawaharlal had his way, Hyderabad was to be “a second Pakistan”

Dr. Hari Desai’s weekly column “Back to Roots” in “Asian Voice”, the newsweekly of ABPL Group, London 7 July 2018  To read the full text, click the web Link : https://bit.ly/2IVh0BP

·         For Sardar Patel, Nehru was always “My Leader”. Of course, both differed on many issues, but they functioned as a team in the interest of the country and ego would not come in the way to checkmate any unlike the impression being created these days. 

·         Patel wanted the Indian relations be developed beyond UK and USA and he had strongly recommended the free India to be part of the Commonwealth maintaining self-respect. Both the Indian leaders differed on their perspective on China and Tibet affairs where Patel forewarned Nehru. Patel proved to be right. 

·         Patel always hoped that India and Pakistan would live as friends and brothers. But unfortunately, the Pakistan Government created trouble in Junagadh and Kashmir and had no courage to disown the elements who had replaced the rule of law by the law of brute force. He felt all friendship and prosperity to new State of Pakistan but at the same time he was firmly of the view that the reunion was inevitable.

·         And to some extent, even the creator of the Pakistan union, M.A. Jinnah, had the desire to return and he did call the first Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Sri Prakash, to convey his desire to Nehru. Unfortunately, Jinnah died too early on 11 September 1948, otherwise the history would have been different. Of course, one has to accept the history as it took place and there are no ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’.