Paying tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ahead of his birth anniversary on October 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his monthly radio broadcast on Sunday called him a 'Man of Detail' for his skill of 'minutely scrutinising everything.'
"Sardar Patel was a 'Man of Detail' in the true sense of the term. He had a keen eye for even the minutest of things. Along with that, he was also adept at organising skills. Chalking out plans and devising strategies was his core forte'," he said.
Calling him the unifying force in bonding the people as a nation, Modi said, "On one hand Sardar Patel possessed the rare quality of uniting people; on the other, he was able to strike a balance with people who were not in ideological agreement with him," he added.
Sharing a memory of Sardar Patel, Modi said that in the year 1921, thousands of delegates were slated to participate in the Congress Session in Ahmedabad, and Sardar Patel was made responsible for making arrangements at the session. He utilised the opportunity to improve the water supply network of the city.
He ensured that no one faced difficulty due to lack of availability of water and he was equally concerned about the safety of the belongings of the delegates.
"You will be surprised to know what he did to ensure this safety. He contacted the farmers and requested them to make khadi bags. Farmers sold these khadi bags to the delegates. The delegates used these bags to keep their shoes which increased the sale of Khadi," he added.
The Prime Minister said that the country will always be indebted to Sardar Patel for his stellar role in the Constituent Assembly. He accomplished the important task of protecting our fundamental rights that obliterated any possibility of discrimination on the basis of caste and community.
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He said that Sardar Patel played a historic role in uniting Princely states with the country. He had an eye on every development in Hyderabad, Junagarh and other states as well as on Lakshwadeep in the distant south.
"He played a very important role in Lakshwadeep which is one of the most beautiful landscapes in India. Soon after Partition in 1947, our neighbour had cast an eye on Lakshadweep. A ship bearing their flag was sent there. When Sardar Patel was informed of this, he wasted no time in initiating stern action and asked the Arcot Ramasamy and Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar to unite people of Travancore and unfurl tricolour at Lakshadweep," Modi said.
"After this, the tricolour was unfurled in Lakshwadeep. But Sardar Patel further told the Mudaliar brothers that they should personally ensure that the island gets all required help for development," he added.
Prime Minister Modi also encouraged the people to visit the island and its sea coasts.
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