Patel’s
Idolization and Need for Libraries
-S.R.Darapuri I.P.S.(Retd)In the recent
Union budget presented by Central government lead by Bhartiy Janta Party (BJP)
a budget provision of Rupees 200 Crores has been made for setting up a statute
of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who was Deputy Prime Minister during Jawahar Lal Nehru’s Prime
Minister ship. Although he was a Congress man but was an orthodox Hindus and now
is a sinecure of BJP as symbol of Hindutva. BJP used the slogan of raising his
highest statue in Gujrat and attracted the voters. It had also collected iron
in small pieces from every supporter of BJP all over the country as a
contribution to the statue of Patel. It paid them good dividend and they have
come to power. Now it is proposed to
raise the said statue with public money to the tune of 200 Crores. Hence the
question arises what happend to the iron collected during the election for this
purpose. Similarly where has gone the Ram Shilas (Ram Bricks) and millions of
funds collected for building Ram Temple at Ayodhya?
Sardar Patel
as Deputy Prime Minister was anti Dalit and anti Dr. B.R.Ambedkar. He had
openly declared that in the new Constitution there will be no reservation of
any kind for any community. This way he totally ignored the provisions of Poona
Pact which had guaranteed Political, Educational and Public Services
reservation to Dalits. This highly perturbed Dalit members of the Constituent
Assembly. They went to Dr. Ambedkar and told him about Patel’s attitude
regarding reservation. Since Dr. Ambedkar was Chairman of the Constitution Framing
Committe he advised them to approach Gandhiji. They met Gandhiji and told him
about the attitude of Mr. Patel and provisions of Poona Pact about reservation.
On this Gandhiji talked to Patel and ordered him to respect Poona Pact. As such
Dalits could get provisions of reservation included in the Constitution. But
Muslims, Christians and Sikhs who enjoyed reservation before 1947 were deprived
of it. After a long struggle Sikhs could get it in 1956 and Muslims and Christians are still
fighting for it.
Dr. Ambedkar
himself was opposed to the erecting of statues of public figures at public cost.
It is strongly reflected from this episode. In 1916 when Dr. Ambedkar was
studying in Columbia University of America a news item appeared in the “Bombay
Chronocle.” It stated that Congress had decided to set up memorials in honour
of Phiroze Shah Mehta and Gopal Krishan Gokhle, both ex- presidents of Congress.
It was proposed to set up a statue of Dadabhai Nauroji in the premises of
Bombay Municipality office. In respect of Gopal Krishan Gokhle it was proposed
to establish a branch of “Servants of India Society” in every district of the State.
In response to this news Dr. Ambedkar wrote a letter to the editor of “Bombay
Chronicle” stating, “The memorial of setting up a branch of “Servants of India
Society” in each district is understandable but cannot we have a better
memorial forPhiroze Shah Mehta? Cannot we set up a good library in his name?”
He further remarked, “As a nation we have not understood the importance of role
of libraries in the development of a society.” Alas! Mayawati should also have
learnt something from Dr. Ambedkar and had avoided wasting of thousand crores
on idols and parks. Had she set up libraries and schools in place of statues
and parks these would have benefited all for centuries?
Now if BJP is
bent upon spending public money on memorial of Sardar Patel let it be not in
the form of a statue with which India is already over flooded. It will be much
beneficial to set up Public Libraries in his name all over India. The statue
may be erected if at all out of the iron collected by them during the election
and out of party fund. It is also high time that we should frame a national
policy to lay down guide lines for setting up memorials and parks to
commemorate public figures. It will also put a check on the whims and fancies
of the political parties and prevent misuse of public money.
