HVK Archives: Was Sardar Patel anti-Muslim?
Was Sardar Patel anti-Muslim? - The Hindustan Times
Khushwant Singh
()
12 April 1997
Title : Was Sardar Patel anti-Muslim?
Author : Khushwant Singh
Publication : The Hindustan Times
Date : April 12, 1997
No, said Dr Rafiq Zakaria while delivering two Sardar Patel
Memorial Lectures on All India Radio some months ago. He repeats
his assertion in greater detail in his recently published book
Sardar Patel and Indian Muslims (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan). If
Zakaria is correct, then how and why was the impression created
that Patel harboured resentment against Muslims? And who were the
people who spread the canard against -him?
Sardar Patel was a man of few words. And what he said was blunt and
shorn of niceties. He was often misquoted or his words taken out
of context. They hurt Muslim sentiment and provided ammunition to
Muslims hostile to the Indian National Congress. lee Sardar never
bothered to explain or apologise. In many ways he brought his
anti-Muslim image upon himself. Let me give a few illustrations
from Zakaria's book.
Sardar Patel had little patience with Jinnah's quibbling with words
and advised Gandhi to ignore him. As early as 1945 he told the
Bapu not to get entangled in endless arguments with Jinnah and
Quoted a Gujarati proverb "in matters of love, the party that loves
less has the upper hand." When the Aga Khan assured him that Jinnah
was a changed man, the Sardar retorted "does a scorpion ever change
its colour?" More unpardonable was the Sardar's comment on the
Calcutta killings following by Jinnah's call for "Direct Action".
In a letter to C. Rajagopalachari, he wrote: "....a good lesson for
the League because I hear that the proportion of Muslims who have
suffered death is much larger (than the Hindus)." The jubilation of
local Muslims when Laik Ali, Prime Minister of Hyderabad, eluded
Indian security and escaped to Karachi roused the Sardar's ire. He
said, "I naturally begin to doubt whether Muslims here feel that
their future lies in India." He was equally harsh in speaking to a
meeting of Muslim members of the Congress: "I want to tell you
frankly that mere declarations of loyalty to the Indian Union will
not help you at this critical juncture. You must give practical
proof of your declarations. I ask you why you did not
unequivocally denounce Pakistan for attacking Indian territory with
the connivance of Frontier tribesmen? Is it not your duty to
condemn all acts of aggression against India?" He also asked them
bluntly as to why in your conference you did not upon your mouths
on Kashmir. He went on to say "those who want to go to Pakistan can
go there and live in peace. Let us live 'here in Peace to work for
ourselves.
It is not surprising that Patel's speeches upset Maulana Azad and
Nehru. Gandhi reprimanded him: "I have heard many complaints
against you. Your speeches are inflammatory and play to the
gallery." Nevertheless Bapu exonerated Patel of the charge of being
anti-Muslim. And there is no doubt that the Sardar was equally
harsh on Hindus and Sikhs who wanted to force Muslims out of East
Punjab, Delhi and Western UP.
Sardar Patel's principal contender for Prime Ministership of the
country was Pandit Nehru who was Gindhiji's first choice for the
post. But the Sardar had his supporters and his reputation as a
man of iron will, an able administrator and one who singlehanded
brought ruling princes to heel were points in his favour. It
served Nehru's ambitions to have the stigma of anti-Muslim
prejudice stick to the Sardar. It was common knowledge that if you
wanted Pandit Nehru to turn against any politician or civil servant
an you had to do was to call him a Patellite.
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