New Delhi, 15 December (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid solemn tribute on Monday to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel—India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister—on the 75th anniversary of his death in 1950, lauding the Iron Man for devoting his life to forging national unity from over 562 princely states through astute diplomacy, persuasion, and resolve.

In a heartfelt Hindi post on X, PM Modi bowed: Lauh Purush Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ko unki 75vi punyatithi par mera sadar naman. Unhone desh ko eksutr mein piro ne ke liye apna jeevan samarpit kar diya. Akhand aur sashakt Bharatvarsh ke nirman mein unka atulniya yogdan kritagya rashtra kabhi bhula nahi sakta.—echoing Patel's legacy in preventing balkanisation post-1947 independence.

Sadar Patel, who passed at 75 after a heart attack in Bombay (now Mumbai), orchestrated the accession of fragmented kingdoms via the Instruments of Accession and privy purses, integrating holdouts like Hyderabad and Junagadh by force if needed, alongside V.P. Menon—earning the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1991 and inspiring the Statue of Unity, the world's tallest at 182 meters in Gujarat.

PM Modi's homage aligns with annual Rashtriya Ekta Diwas observances on Patel's birth anniversary, reinforcing his vision of an undivided, resilient India amid contemporary challenges to integrity.

This commemoration underscores Patel's enduring imprint as the architect of modern India's territorial cohesion, from quelling communal riots to establishing the All India Services, a debt the grateful nation vows never to forget.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar