New Delhi, Oct 31 Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Saturday urged young people to carry forward the legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, asserting that a united nation would always be a strong nation.
Speaking at a ‘Sardar Katha’ event at his official residence to mark Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, Radhakrishnan said India’s enduring strength lay in its unity despite its diverse languages, traditions and regional backgrounds.
He hailed Patel’s role in the political integration of more than 560 princely states into the Indian Union, citing the decisive actions taken for the liberation of Hyderabad State as a historic milestone.
Radhakrishnan said Patel was not only the unifier of the nation but also an architect of the Indian Constitution and a visionary behind India’s modern civil services, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS).
He also recalled how Patel moved from a Western lifestyle to one of traditional simplicity under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi.
Recounting an anecdote about Patel’s cultural identity, Radhakrishnan said that when a senior British officer asked him about his cultural background, Patel famously replied, “My culture is agriculture.
(PTI News)
