This book tries to understand Sardar Patel not from the traditional approach of viewing him just as an integrator of princely states or Iron Man but investigate the different dimensions of Patels thinking towards India.
The political landscape of India has transformed greatly in the twenty first century and with the rise of Bhartiya Janata Party as a vehement nationalist force, nationalist historical figures like Sardar Patel, Vir Savarkar, Deen Dayal Upadhyay have been projected as the real heroes of the freedom struggle together with the others, thus redefining and reprioritizing the leadership profile of the Indian freedom movement.
This book tries to understand Sardar Patel not from the traditional approach of viewing him just as an integrator of princely states or Iron Man but investigate the different dimensions of Patels thinking towards India. It discusses his ideas on secularism and minorities; status of women; ideas on cleanliness and environment; scheduled castes; Indian administration; farmers and agricultural rights and land reforms; Indias foreign policy and relations with its neighbours especially China and the greater world powers.
First of its kind, this book will be of interest to scholars and researchers of Indian politics, Indian history, Nationalist movement, political sociology, and South Asian history.
Part I
1. Introduction Part II Sardar Patel: Service, Secularism and
Security
2. Service as a Response to Risk and Uncertainty: Patel and the Role
of the Public Service Officer
3. Sardar Patel, Secularism and the Question of
Minorities in India
4. Internal Security of India: The Sardar Patels
Perspective
5. Tibet and India-China Border Dispute: Some Reflections on
Sardar Vallbhbhai Patels Perspective
6. Sardar Patel on Indias Foreign
Policy Part III Integrating India
7. The Essential Patel: Scanning his Ideas
and Practices
8. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patels Contribution towards Modern India
9. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: The Symbol of National Unity and Integrity
10.
Sardar Patel and the Making of India
11. Sardar Patel: The Princes, the
Purses and the Consolidation of India
12. Patels Pragmatism about Jammu and
Kashmir Part IV: Patel, Nehru and Ambedkar
13. Patel and Nehru: The
Divergence and Convergence
14. Sardar Patel, B.R. Ambedkar and the Making of
Indian Constitution Part V: The Cinematic Representation
15. Ketan Mehtas Sardar: A Perspectival Approach to History
Harish K. Thakur is the former Chairperson of the Departments of Political Science and Defence & Strategic Studies at Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. He has also served as Director of the Centre for Canadian Studies. A poet, critic, and essayist, Prof. Thakur has been a frequent contributor to national and international dailies and newsletters such as The Hindu, The Hindustan Times, Indian Express, The New Indian Express, The Quint, Live Mint, Eurasian Review, and Modern Diplomacy. He specializes in Foreign Policy, State Politics, Gandhian Studies, and Tribal Studies. Author of over fifteen books, Prof. Thakur is also Editor of Himachal Pradesh University Journal: Humanities & Social Sciences and has also successfully completed four major research projects with the ICSSR, New Delhi.
