The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Patel would have handled Kashmir question differently: Governor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 06, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Patel would have handled Kashmir question differently: Governor

Special Correspondent

Barnala unveils statue of the late leader in front of Raj Bhavan

UNVEILED: Governor S.S. Barnala (centre), former Supreme Court judge S. Mohan, and former Tamil Nadu Governor Ramamohan Rao (left), at the unveiling of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel statue in Chennai on Monday. — Photo: Shaju John

CHENNAI: The function got up for unveiling a life-size bronze statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on Monday saw interesting reflections of Governor Surjit Singh Barnala and his predecessor P.S. Ramamohan Rao on the late leader.

Referring to the debate still going on in certain quarters as to what would have happened if Patel handled the Kashmir question directly, Mr. Rao said studies had shown that Patel had broadly agreed with the line of action pursued by Jawaharlal Nehru at the instance of Lord Mountbatten.

Mr. Barnala, who unveiled the statue in front of the Raj Bhavan and spoke later, said if Sardar Patel had handled the issue, the history of Kashmir might have been different.

The former Governor said: "It is an indisputable fact of life in India that whenever the country faces a crisis, informed people, nostalgically, wish that Sardar Patel were alive and around to deal with the crisis."

Mr Barnala recalled that several rulers of the erstwhile Princely States in Punjab and Rajasthan were toying with the idea of functioning independently. It was Patel who persuaded them to merge their States with the rest of the country.

The Governor said Patel's ability to sacrifice his personal comforts continued to inspire thousands of freedom fighters, who came in contact with him. His faith in Gandhiji remained unshaken till the very end.

Mr. Rao said Patel stood down in favour of Nehru for the presidentship of the Congress thrice, between 1929 and 1946, in deference to the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi, though the overwhelming majority of the Provincial Congress Committees opted for his candidature.

Mr. Barnala and S. Mohan, former Supreme Court Judge, commended Mr. Rao for his efforts to install the statue.

`Man of rectitude'

Mr. Mohan said Patel was a man of rectitude, indomitable courage and iron will.

N. Sugalchand Jain, chairman, and C.S.Veeraraghavan, secretary, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Memorial Trust, thanked sculptors Nagappa Jagannathan and Deviprasad Jagannathan for making the statue.

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