The first Deputy Prime Minister of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel died at the age of 75 in Bombay, now Mumbai, on December 15, 1950. The Iron Man, as he was fondly called, was one of the prominent leaders who contributed to the independence of India and unified the country into a State. Among many other things, Patel was one of the architects of the Constitution and contributed highly to the fundamental rights stated in the legal document. On his death in 1950, the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and other state officials paid their respects to the man through obituaries. The State mourned the death of Patel for a week and all public entertainment events were put to a halt. Here’s how the nation paid tributes to the “Iron Man” and grieved on his demise. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s tribute The Parliament assembled in New Delhi an hour later to Patel’s death and the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru announced his demise to the House. Three days before his death, Patel was seen off at the Willingdon airfield, now the Safdarjung airport, to Bombay. Strenuous “hard work” and “continuous worry” was said to be one of the reasons for his travel to Bombay. Nehru termed him the “Builder and Consolidator of New India”. “We shall remember him as a friend and a colleague and a comrade above all, and I who have sat here on this bench side by side with him for these several years will feel rather forlorn and a certain emptiness will steal upon me when I look at this empty bench.” Tribute of Governors of Provinces, Rajpramukhs and Foreign Diplomatic representatives Representatives of state governments and provinces sent their condolence messages to the then President Rajendra Prasad. Governor of Uttar Pradesh Hormasji Peroshaw Mody: “On behalf of my state I offer you my deepest sympathy in the tremendous loss which the nation has suffered by the passing of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. We join in the great grief which this very sad event must cause to friends and colleagues like yourself.” Governor of West Bengal Dr. K.N. Katju: “Sardar Patel was a pillar of strength to the State and people of India and his contributions to the struggle for national independence and then to the building up of the fabric of our State shall make our name ever imperishable in our national story. In the midst of your own tremendous responsibilities you would naturally feel most his departure in this critical period of world affairs.” Governor of Madras Krishna Kumarsinjhi Bhavsinjhi: “Impossible to express our very great sorrow and distress at news of Sardar Patel’s passing away. Irreparable loss to India.” Rajpramukh of Saurashtra: “Have received with profound sorrow and with a deep sense of personal bereavement the sad news of passing away of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at a time when the country was in the greatest need of his wise counsel and iron strength.” Maharaja of Cochin: “Shocked to hear the sudden passing away of Sardar Patel. India has lost one of her noblest and ablest servants and the voids can hardly be filled. May his great soul rest in peace.” Maharajadhiraj of Kashmir: “Extremely grieved at the sad demise of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a doughty fighter for India’s freedom. It is an irreparable loss which we all must bear with great fortitude.” Yuvraj of Jammu and Kashmir: “The Sardar will go down in history as one of the great architects of our freedom and a pillar of strength to our country and particularly in states during the difficult and troubled times through which we have passed. We deeply grieve our irreparable loss.” Nawab of Bhopal: “My family an I mourn along with the millions in the country the tragic and untimely blow to the great cause which the late revered Sardar Patel upheld with such ability, courage and determination through all the vicissitudes and the fortunes of the country and we pray that God may bestow.” Maharaja Gaekwar of Baroda: “I look upon this most unfortunate event as a great loss, national loss in a time best with difficulties of great magnitude from all sides. I used to value his advice as source of inspiration and guidance for myself and my people. His leaving us at this critical juncture is not only a great loss to Gujarat and the Free India but to other Asian nations as well.” Maharaja of Jodhpur: “Deeply grieved to learn Sardar Sahib’s sad passing away which is a great loss to the country.” Many messages were received from Indian embassies and countries from Moscow, Prague, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Belgium, Philippines, Portugal, Germany, Tibet, Aden, Egypt, Indonesia, Burma, Mauritius, East Africa, Nepal, Paris, United Nations, Ethiopia, Kosti, Mombasa, Johannesburg, Canada, San Francisco, Bahrain, Gwanda, New York, Lahore, Saudi Arabia, Tokyo and Canberra.
