Comparative review of political views of Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and relevance in the present context

Abstract

Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel are two of the most prominent leaders of the Indian independence movement and of modern India who played a significant role in shaping India's post-independence era. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India, serving the country from 1947 until his death in 1964. Nehru was a socialist and believed in a mixed economy, with an emphasis on a strong public sector and social welfare policies. He was also a strong advocate of secularism, democracy and non-alignment in foreign policy. Vallabhbhai Patel, also known as the "Iron Man of India", was a prominent leader of the Indian independence movement and was instrumental in integrating the princely states into the newly independent India. As India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, he was responsible for the integration of over 500 princely states into the Indian Union. Patel was a staunch nationalist and believed in a strong, centralized government. Nehru and Patel differed on some issues, particularly their approach to governance and foreign policy. Nehru's emphasis on socialism and non-alignment contrasted with Patel's belief in a strong, centralized government and a pro-Western foreign policy. However, both leaders shared a commitment to India's independence and were instrumental in shaping India's post-independence era. This article presents a review of the political views of Nehru and Patel, as well as tries to tell what were the similarities and differences between the political views of Nehru and Patel. This article also provides a view on the relevance of the political views of Nehru and Patel. is