Perhaps the biggest contribution of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel came around the time of partition, the regrettable communal violence, deep-seated mistrust, and bloody period of ideological conflict. 15th August 1947, India had become independent from the British rule empire. For independence, the struggle had lasted two centuries, various women and men laid down their lives to ensure that we could breathe and live in an independent nation. The struggle for independence to retouch grotesque society that was prevalent during those times ran hand in hand with the struggle for freedom. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel took over as the Home Minister of nascent nation at a very important juncture in history and devoted himself wholeheartedly to make sure that the nation which was already partitioned remained united and intact. This book outlines Patel’s crucial role in the integration of princely states into India, in saving the Kashmir valley from Pakistani raiders, and his perceptive and farsighted approach with respect to China, Tibet and Nepal.
