India observes ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day)’ on 31 October every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who had played a crucial role in the national integration process following independence in 1947. He is also popularly known as ‘Iron Man of India’.
This year’s celebration of the ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ was particularly special as it marked the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.
Sardar Patel and RSS
Critics of the RSS have often quoted Sardar Patel’s speeches and letters selectively to project that Patel was highly critical of the RSS. The backdrop of this critique is the ban imposed on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on 4 February, 1948 in wake of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi on 30 January, 1948. The ban was later lifted as all the charges against the organisation were found to be baseless.
A look at the correspondence between the then RSS Sarsanghchalak(Chief Mentor) MS Golwalkar and Sardar Patel as well as between Sardar Patel and the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru paints a different picture. This correspondence is available in the sixth volume of “Sardar Patel’s Correspondence 1945-50″ edited by noted journalist and public intellectual Durga Das. The ten volumes of this correspondence are a treasure trove of information about Sardar Patel and it was first published in 1973.
Nehru had a known disliking for the RSS and unarguably used Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination to target the organisation. This became evident when he raised another false bogey through a letter dated 26 February, 1948 to Sardar Patel. Nehru wrote in this letter, “The Delhi police has apparently a goodly number of sympathisers with the RSS. It may not be easy to deal with all of them. But I think something more than has been done can be undertaken.”
He goes on to add, “I do not know what exactly to suggest to you(Sardar Patel). But I have a feeling of uneasiness about the situation in Delhi specially. I think the police and the local authorities have to be kept up to the mark. They have a habit of slackening off after the spurt, what is more dangerous is that a number of them appear to sympathise with the RSS. Hence an impression is created that nothing very effective is being done.”
Sardar Patel replied in detail to Nehru on 27 February, 1948: “I have kept myself almost in daily touch with the progress of the investigation regarding Bapu’s assassination case. I devote a large part of my evening to discussing with Sanjevi the day’s progress and giving instructions to him on any points that arise. All the main accused have given long and detailed statements of their activities. In one case, the statement extends to ninety typed pages. From their statements, it is quite clear that no part of the conspiracy took place in Delhi. The centres of activity were Poona, Bombay, Ahmednagar and Gwalior. Delhi was, of course, the terminating point of their activity, but by no means its centre; nor do they seem to have spent more than a day or two at a time, and that too only twice between 19 and 30 January.”
In this letter Sardar Patel categorically said, “It also clearly emerges from these statements that the RSS was not involved in it at all. ..It also appears that the conspiracy was limited to some ten men, of whom all except two have been got hold of. Every bit of these statements is being carefully checked up and verified and scrutinised, and where necessary, followed up. Sanjevi devotes considerable time every day to it. Senior officers of Bombay and GP are in charge of the investigation. Delhi police hardly comes in the picture.”
In the same letter Patel emphasised that false information was fed against the RSS and the allegations that were made were also vague. “Every item of information that is being communicated to us through sources, known and unknown, real, anonymous or pseudonymous, is being investigated. More than 90 per cent of these have been found to be just imagination. Most of these have been directed to the activities of RSS men in various centres. We have followed this up, and except vague allegations that sweets were distributed or joy was expressed, hardly anything of substance has been found in them,” Patel wrote to Nehru.
Golwalkar-Patel letters
The correspondence in wake of the ban on RSS between Golwalkar and Sardar Patel has an interesting aspect where the latter addressed the former as “Bhai (Brother) Golwalkar.” Golwalkar wrote to Sardar Patel on 11 August, 1948 clarifying the RSS’ position as a nationalist socio-cultural organisation. Patel wrote back on 11 September (Guruji-Patel-Nehru Patra Vyavhar; suruchi prakashan; pp11) where he expressed some disagreement with the RSS but he also categorically mentions, “No one can doubt that RSS has served the Hindu society.” Referring to the RSS’ work during partition he further said, “In those areas where RSS was required, its young cadres made significant contributions by saving lives of women and children. No wise man can have a complaint against the RSS on this front.”
Diary of Maniben Patel
In fact, it would be pertinent to mention the diary of Maniben Patel here. Maniben Vallabhbhai Patel (1903–1990) was the daughter of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Maniben served as Sardar Patel’s devoted personal secretary, companion, and caretaker, managing his household and political correspondence for many years. She maintained a detailed diary, which later became an important source of information on Sardar Patel’s life and the political events of the time.
She made an interesting entry in this diary (Inside story of Sardar Patel: The Diary of Maniben Patel 1936-50; pp 298) on August 3, 1949 , “Glad at release of Golwalkar.” The ban on the RSS was lifted on the midnight of 11 July 1949; Golwalkar was released from prison on 13 July 1949.
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas(National Unity Day)
The day was first celebrated in 2014, following a declaration by the Narendra Modi government to honour and celebrate Sardar Patel’s remarkable contribution to nation-building. Critics of the RSS will do well to recall that Modi is a former RSS Pracharak(full-time worker) and the party he represents -Bharatiya Janata Party- is an ideological mentee of the RSS.
During the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas held on 31st October, 2015 Prime Minister Modi had announced the initiative ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’(One Bharat, Best/Great Bharat) for sustained and structured connection between people of different regions of the country for an enhanced understanding and bonding between them. More than ten Central ministries, state governments, schools, colleges and youth organisations have since been celebrating through various activities to promote such bonding between people from different parts of the country.