Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was popularly known as the Iron Man of India. He played a leading role in the Indian freedom struggle and became the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India. He was in charge of Home Affairs, Information and Broadcasting and the Ministry of States.
Sardar Patel is also credited with achieving political integration of India. There were 565 princely states in India at the time of Indian independence, whose rulers wanted independent status for themselves. Sardar Patel united these scattered states with negotiations and without much bloodshed.
Vallabhbhai successfully led peasants’revolt in Kheda in 1919. Kheda Satyagraha turned Vallabhbhai Patel into a national hero. Vallabhbhai supported Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement, and as president of the Gujarat Congress, helped in organizing bonfires of British goods in Ahmedabad. He was elected Congress President in 1931.
For his services to the nation Sardar Patel was conferred with Bharat Ratna in 1991.
