Sardar Patel & Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

Since when Narendra Modi declared to honor Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel, first Home Minister of Independent India & main architect of united India, by making "Statue of Unity" taller than "Statue of Liberty",  hell has broken to denounce Modi & Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh from every quarter of Congress Party who consider them the only secular organisation of India. Reason they gave look very simple. Sardar Patel banned RSS after murderer of Mahatama Gandhi and he always opposed RSS & it ideology. 

To check reality, I researched diffrent books, work & letters of leaders of that time and surprising came to the conclusion that Sardar Patel, as people loving called Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel, was not RSS hater. But contrary to this he prasied their good work from time to time. 

I quote from book "NEHRU :: THE MAKING OF INDIA" written by Sh. M.J. Akbar, a well known & well respected journalist of our time. Chapter-"Centre Stage" page 454 as below.

The mood of Congress party after partition was weighted far more towards Patel than Nehru, and Patel's inclination were hardly secret. In one of his more important speeches, made on 6 January 1948 at Lucknow, Patel said:

"I am a true friend of the Muslims although I have been described as their greatest enemy. I believe in  plain speaking  I do not know how to mince words. I want to tell them frankly that mere declaration of loyalty to the Indian Union will not help them at this critical juncture. They must give practical proof of their declarations ........ .... I realize that the [the RSS] are not actuated by selfish motives but the situation warrants that they should strengthen the hands of the government and assist in maintaining peace...... In the Congress those who are in power feel that by virtue of authority they will be able to crush the RSS. By danda [the stick] you cannot suppress an orgnization. Moreover, danda is meant for thieves and dakus. Using of danda will not help much. After all, the RSS are not thieves and dacoits. They are patriots. The love their country. Only their trend of thougt is diverted. They are to be won over by Congress with love." 

Patel was, of course, accusing the Nehru brand of Congressmen of wanting to beat the RSS with a stick, while he, on the other hand, wanted to 'strengthen' the Congress by wooing the RSS into the fold with love. Little wonder that the police under Patel would be accused of being soft towards the RSS.

Now readers may well decided what Sardar Patel thought of the RSS and how 'the traditional' Congressmen ignored his well intended advice to woo the RSS thus weakening their own organization & country by keeping a patriot & hard working RSS out of main course.

(The  quote from Sh. MJ Akbar work named above has been taken for reference point of view only.)
Pradeep Shanker
(NGO Reporter)
@ngoreporterindia@gmail.com