India united by Vallabhbhai Patel politically, by Shankaracharya spiritually: Bihar Guv in Delhi

Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Thursday drew a parallel between Shankaracharya and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, saying while one sought spiritual unity, the other strived for political unification.

He was addressing a symposium at the Delhi Legislative Assembly ahead of the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on October 31. ''As Adi Shankaracharya established India’s spiritual unity through Vedanta, Sardar Patel accomplished political unity through courage and conviction,” he said at the symposium. Khan said true unity cannot be built on force or fear but must arise from shared emotion, consciousness, and purpose. He described Patel’s unification of more than 560 princely states as “a historic act of statesmanship -- a task comparable to that of Bismarck in Germany, or perhaps even greater”. Applauding the Indian governments' decision to commemorate Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, he called it “a fitting tribute to the architect of India’s unity”.

“To fulfil the resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make India a developed and leading nation, we must constantly recall and reawaken the ideals and values for which Sardar Patel dedicated his entire life,” the governor said.

Floral tributes were offered to the statue of Vithalbhai Patel in the presence of Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta, Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht, Delhi Cabinet Minister Kapil Mishra, and Niranjanaben Kalarthi, administrator of Swaraj Ashram, Bardoli (Gujarat), an official statement of Delhi Assembly Secretariat said. Vithalbhai Patel was the Speaker-equivalent (president) of the British-era Central Legislative Assembly, a chamber of elected and appointed Indian and British representatives with limited legislative powers. He was also the elder brother of Vallabhbhai Patel.

A special exhibition showcasing rare archival photographs and historical documents tracing Sardar Patel’s life and legacy was also inaugurated on the Assembly premises, according to the statement.

Gupta, in his address, said, “The strength of a nation lies not in its might, but in its unity of hearts and purpose”. He hailed Sardar Patel as the architect of India’s integration, whose foresight and diplomacy transformed a divided land into one sovereign nation.

“Sardar Patel’s life reminds us that unity is not a slogan but a sacred duty,” Gupta said, urging citizens to uphold the values of discipline, integrity, and selfless service that Patel embodied.

Kalarthi said Sardar Patel united 562 of 565 princely states “without letting a single drop of blood be shed.'' She described him as “a leader of deep compassion and humility” whose affection and foresight won the trust of rulers across India.

Kalarthi, the author of a book on Patel, is known to have been present at the Bardoli Satyagraha, a farmers' agitation and a nationalist movement from the late 1920s, which was led by Patel, among others.

Mishra said Patel’s memory had been ''immortalised through the Statue of Unity, which stands as a tribute to the nation’s unifier''.

The event concluded with a collective pledge to uphold Patel’s ideals, the statement said.