Patel laid a strong foundation for Ek Bharat: Vice Prez

HYDERABAD: Vice President CP Radhakrishnan has said that Sardar Patel laid the steely foundation for a strong and unified Ek Bharat and described ‘Hyderabad Liberation Day’ as “a decisive chapter in the history of independent Bharat”.

Addressing as Chief Guest at the 79th Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations on Thursday, after inspecting a guard of honour presented by the paramilitary forces at the Secunderabad Parade Ground, he said.

“17 September 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.”

The Vice President 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. He said the story of Hyderabad reflects the enormous challenges a young nation faced in bringing together people from different political circumstances.

It was a story of statesmanship, courage, and sacrifice, followed by the larger, ongoing task of building a constitutional democracy in which every citizen has an equal place. Recalling Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s contribution to national integration, the Vice President said that as the first Home Minister and Minister for States, Sardar Patel carried an extraordinary responsibility as India recovered from Partition and consolidated hundreds of princely states into one Union. “Sardar Patelji laid the steely foundation of a strong, unified Ek Bharat,” Radhakrishnan observed.

Drawing a parallel between different phases of India’s nation-building, the Vice President said: “Gandhiji and Netaji Subhash Chandra Boseji played a pivotal role in India’s freedom. Sardar Patelji played a pivotal role in unifying princely states with modern-day India. Prime Minister Narendra Modiji is now playing a pivotal role in the making of developed India -Viksit Bharat @ 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. The Vice President paid homage to patriots, including Ramji Gond, Turrebaz Khan, and Komaram Bheem, as well as ordinary citizens who refused 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.

The Vice President 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 they played an important role in integrating princely states and safeguarding Bharat’s territorial integrity in 1947–48. He acknowledged their contribution in combating Left-Wing Extremism in Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and other affected areas.

The Vice President inspected the parade and witnessed the impressive marchpast and evocative cultural performances at Parade Ground during the Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations.

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