Patel carried extraordinary responsibility in integration of princely states with Indian Union: VP
In Short
Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan said Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel laid the foundation of a strong and unified India while addressing Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations in Hyderabad.
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Patel carried extraordinary responsibility in integration of princely states with Indian Union: VP
Hyderabad: Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Thursday said the country's first Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel carried an extraordinary responsibility in the integration of princely states with the Indian Union post Independence and laid the foundation for a strong unified 'Ek Bharat'.
Only because of Patel, 'Ek Bharat' will be 'Ek Bharat' forever, he said.
Patel's contribution must be understood in the larger context of national consolidation, he said, speaking at the Hyderabad Liberation Day celebration organised here by the Centre to mark the merger of the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad with the Indian Union.
The Vice President said that September 17, 1948 marked the conclusion of a decisive chapter in the history of independent Bharat, with the integration of the erstwhile Hyderabad state into the Indian Union following the events of September 1948 and 'Operation Polo'.
He said that Hyderabad Liberation Day is not merely a commemoration of a historic date, but a reminder of the journey of nation-building and the values that continue to bind Bharat together.
"Hyderabad proved to be one of the most difficult cases of that time and when negotiations failed, the Government of India initiated 'Operation Polo' on September 13, 1948. The operation concluded on September 17, 1948 with the surrender of Nizam's forces," he said.
Recalling Patel's contribution to national integration, he said the former Deputy PM carried an extraordinary responsibility at a time when India was recovering from partition and simultaneously consolidating hundreds of princely states into one Union.
"Patel laid the steely foundation of a strong, unified Ek Bharat," Radhakrishnan said.
While Mahatma Gandhi and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose played a pivotal role in India's freedom, Patel saw unifying princely states with modern day India, the Vice President said.
He further said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now playing an important role in the making of developed India- 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047.
Paying tribute to the people’s movement behind the Hyderabad struggle, Radhakrishnan said that students, intellectuals, writers, social workers, political activists, farmers and ordinary citizens participated in the struggle and endured imprisonment, violence and immense personal hardship.
He paid homage to patriots, including Ramji Gond, Turrebaz Khan and Komaram Bheem, and said their courage reminds us that history is not made only in government offices or by famous statesmen, but also by ordinary citizens who refuse to accept injustice as their destiny.
"Political integration can bring territories together; constitutional democracy brings citizens together," he said, stressing that national unity cannot be sustained by geography alone and must be strengthened through equal rights, equal dignity and equal opportunity for every Indian citizen.
He said Bharat's unity does not require every citizen to be identical, noting that Indians may speak different languages, follow different traditions, worship differently and hold different political opinions, yet remain bound together by the Constitution and the principle that sovereignty ultimately belongs to the people.
Referring to the role of the Central Armed Police Forces, the Vice President said in 1947-48, the forces also played an important role in integration of princely states and consolidating the territorial integrity of mother Bharat.
The forces again rose to the occasion in combating Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and other affected areas, he said.
"Guided by PM Modi's vision of a naxal-free, secure and developed Bharat, and peaceful states driven by the steely resolve of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the central armed police forces worked in coordination with the state police and crushed naxalism," he said.
He said he recently visited Chhattisgarh and was truly amazed by the transformative development in health and education taking place after the eradication of naxalism in that state.
Areas that were once affected by naxalism and insecurity are now witnessing a new atmosphere of peace, development and opportunity because of the great sacrifice of the central forces, he said.
During the 79th Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations at Parade Ground in Secunderabad, Radhakrishnan visited the War Memorial and laid a wreath, paying tributes to the bravehearts.
Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, G Kishan Reddy, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Malkajgiri MP Etela Rajender and other dignitaries were present.
