The house where Patel lives on

RECENTLY, I visited the ancestral house of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, at Karamsad in Anand district of Gujarat. It has been preserved as a museum. Patel was born at Nadiad in Kheda district on October 31, 1875.

Originally a village, Karamsad has developed into a small but beautiful town with wide roads, impressive public buildings, parks and above all, efficient sanitation.

The house where the ‘Iron Man of India’ grew up is an elegant two-storeyed building with a big yard, located in the middle of the township. The woodwork is of high quality and does not show any sign of wear and tear despite the vagaries of time. The place is being managed by two caretakers, who keep the building spick and span.

The museum displays a large number of nicely framed photographs of Patel, covering all phases of his life, right from childhood to old age. The most touching photo shows him leaving Delhi for Bombay on December 11, 1950. Then President Dr Rajendra Prasad, then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, renowned industrialist GD Birla and Constituent Assembly member NV Gadgil were there to see him off at the airport. Patel’s expression indicates that he knew this was the final send-off by his colleagues and his life was nearing its end.

He passed away at the age of 75 on December 15, 1950, at the Birla Bhawan in Bombay. Photos clicked during subsequent days show roads of that city choked with mourners during Patel’s final journey to the cremation ground.

Unfortunately, the government of the day made no effort to purchase Birla Bhawan and convert it into a memorial as a fitting tribute to Patel’s unforgettable services to the nation. The building had remained a hub of activities during the freedom movement as Mahatma Gandhi and other prominent leaders used to stay and work from there. In the wee hours of August 9, 1942, Gandhi and members of the Congress Working Committee were arrested from Birla Bhawan — a day after they had launched the Quit India Movement.

Patel’s birth anniversary is celebrated as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas. The 182-metre-high Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat, stands tall as a monument to his invaluable contribution towards unifying the nation. Notably, nationwide celebrations to mark his 150th birth anniversary began last year and will continue till 2026.

A visit to Karamsad was a dream come true for me and it will always remain a cherished memory.

Musings