By:Dr. P.N. Chopra & Prabha Chopra
Inside Story of Sardar Patel: TheDiary of Maniben Patel Our Price:$25.5This is the first-ever publication ofthe hitherto unknown diary of Sardar Patel’sdaughter. Maniben generally accompaniedPatel everywhere and was presentwith the Sardar at most of his meetings.She was therefore privy to whattranspired in these meetings and also toSardar’s views and innermost thoughtson various historic and sensitive issueswhich he often could not otherwise expresseven to his closest friends and colleagues.Then, too, having earlier spent manyyears looking after Gandhi, and possessedof high intelligence, Manibenunderstood both the context and the significanceof the unfolding events and thedramatis personae of the times.The diary runs from 8 June 1936 tillSardar’s death on 15 December 1950, andis particularly detailed after Patel’s releasefrom jail in 1945. It offers a wealth ofoften revealing, sometimes explosive detailsand insights into that defining periodin India’s history which encompasses thecountry’s independence, partition, integrationof the princely states, Gandhi’sassassination, and then the initial, crucialyears of India’s self-governance, in all ofwhich Patel’s was an indispensable, pivotalrole.Maniben’s diary serves to highlightthe deep regard Patel held Gandhi in andalso his serious differences with Nehruon a host of issues, including Hyderabad,Kashmir, foreign policy, especially withregard to Tibet, Hindu-Muslim problems,particularly the problem of refugeeswho were being driven out fromEast Pakistan, the Nehru-Liaquat Pactnotwithstanding, and on corruption, socialism,centralised planning, Nehru’s autocraticstyle of functioning, etc. Indeed,Patel’s differences with Nehru were bothideological and deep-rooted. In addition,aware of Patel’s hold over the Congressparty organization, Nehru consideredSardar as a rival who could dethrone him.Maniben’s diary, however, reveals thatPatel had no such ambition, particularlyafter he had given his word to Gandhi.Upon the Patel-Nehru differencesplayed many others, notably RafiAhmed Kidwai, the socialists, and evenMaulana Azad. The diary reveals theirmanoeuvrings to oust Sardar from theCabinet. Significantly, Nehru consistentlyignored the many allegations ofcorruption against Kidwai, a fact whichpuzzled many Congress leaders. On hispart, Kidwai once boasted: “If Jawaharlaljoins (the Congress Working Committee)without me, I will blackmail him.” Thebook also highlights differences betweenSardar Patel and Maulana Azad, particularlywith regard to Maulana’s secret dealingswith the Cabinet Mission and later inrespect of the Hindu-Muslim problem.Sardar Patel emerges from the diaryas a man of action and unbending will,singularly focussed on service to the nation,capable of putting the bigger causeabove his own, forthright and blunt, anda man of honour who repeatedly setaside his own ambitions upon the requestof his mentor. The book also contains asimple, touching estimation of her fatherby Maniben, as also a comprehensivebiographical sketch of Maniben Patelherself.Maniben Patel’s diary both fills in andfleshes out some of India’s most epochalyears, and those of one of its tallest leaders.As such, its importance and value forboth the scholar and the inquiring citizencan hardly be exaggerated.Inside Story of Sardar Patel: The Diaryof Maniben Patel Details:Publisher:Vision BooksLanguage: English
