Everything was fine till October 1950, but as November came, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s health deteriorated so much that it kept on deteriorating. He was getting tired. Memory started answering. The body became weak. Couldn’t even speak much. During this time, it was clear from the things he started talking that he started feeling that he did not have many days left. Meanwhile, Nehru came to meet him several times. While leaving, he specifically told senior Congress leader and his colleague Narhar Vishnu Gadgil not to leave Nehru’s side under any circumstances. Let us know how were the last days of Sardar Patel. What was he saying and doing in those days?
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel died on 15 December at 09.37 am in Mumbai. In the last month of his life, his health suddenly deteriorated. He was not liking the climate and cold weather of Delhi. His personal doctors suggested him to stay in Mumbai and get treatment. He was airlifted from Delhi to Mumbai four-five days ago.
Rajmohan Gandhi has written in detail in this regard in his book “Patel A Life”. It is written in the book, in fact, in the last week of October, Sardar Patel was in Ahmedabad. He stayed there for full 05 days. Celebrated his 75th birthday there. There were many programs on this occasion. He returned to Delhi on 02 November. As soon as he arrived, he started fighting over the issue of Tibet. In fact, Tibet had appealed to India for diplomatic help on 30 October 1950. China had entered their country. On November 4, the newspapers were saying that China had captured Tibet.
It was believed that there would be a clash with Nehru on foreign policy.
Three days later, Patel sent a letter to Nehru. He told Tandon to Purushottam Das about this, “I hope there will be a clash with Nehru on foreign policy.” He seemed aggressive on this.
On November 09, while releasing a book on Delhi Swami Dayanand, he said, “He dispelled the clouds of doubt hovering over Hinduism and made it as bright as the sun.Patel said something special about Tibet, “A peaceful country was captured and now it is unlikely to survive. We did not think that this would happen…but China did not listen to us…Tibet was a country with religious inclinations. No aggression was ever shown from Tibet’s side. But when someone is intoxicated with power, he does not even realize what he is doing.”
Speculations of conflict with Nehru stopped
Only after this suddenly Patel’s health started deteriorating. Then the speculations about the conflict between him and Nehru on foreign policy came to an end there. His secretary Shankar realized that he had started forgetting things. His daughter Maniben, who lives with him, noticed that he is no longer able to hear the words spoken in a soft voice. He is having trouble sleeping. The pulse has increased. Weak heart and severe pain in intestines.
He was not able to bear even the slightest workload. Mostly stayed in bed. Leave alone giving a speech, now he had started avoiding even giving any message to anyone. He stopped his morning walk.
Then it started being discussed that perhaps Nehru wanted a cabinet panel, which would be equivalent to the Foreign Affairs Committee and which would consider some of the questions arising regarding Princely State. Patel was saddened by this. After this, another report came that there could be a change of secretaries, this also worried Patel as to what would be the future of Menon and Shankar. However, his suspicion was neither baseless nor completely correct.
Then Nehru said, I too am losing confidence
Despite the illness and the resulting weakness, Patel himself sent a handwritten birthday greeting letter to Nehru on 14 November. On 23 November, when Nehru came to his residence at 01, Aurangzeb Road, Delhi, Patel boldly told him, I wanted to talk to you alone that whenever I got a little strength and was able to withstand the pressures, you were losing faith in me.
Nehru smiled and said, I am losing confidence in myself. Nehru made this comment with humility. Nehru knew that his breakdown would be debilitating.
Blood stains seen on the bed
On November 21, Maniben noticed blood stains on Patel’s bed. A nurse was immediately arranged for night and day service. Within a few nights, Patel had to be put on oxygen. Sushila Nayyar also came to help the doctors. Although Patel was aware of the tension between Sushila and Maniben, one afternoon he asked Sushila whether there was any friction between the two women or not.
Maniben heard this and her eyes became wet. But she was harsh towards those who met Patel. They had banned him or limited his coming. However, Rajendra Prasad, Rajagopalachari, Nehru and Azad kept coming for light advice.
In this last quarter of 1950, Patel’s bitterness towards Maulana Azad had ended to some extent. There was better harmony between them. In fact, Patel held Maulana responsible for whatever happened during Tandon’s election for the post of President, hence Nehru had jumped into that fight.
He was muttering again and again – Is life a show every few days?
On December 05, he started feeling that his end was near. That night, Maniben heard him repeatedly muttering this couplet of Nazir, “Zindagi kya ye tamasha chaand roz”. On 06 December, President Prasad sat with him for 10 minutes. But Patel was so ill that he was not in a position to say anything. On 08 December, when Bengal Chief Minister BC Rai came to see him, Patel asked him, “Do you want to stay or go?” Rai himself was a well-known doctor. He immediately told Patel, “If the case was about to go, why would I come to see you?” But his reassuring words could not convince Patel.
After this, that day and the next day he kept muttering the same lines of Nazir. Along with this, this line of Kabir would also come on his tongue, “Man lago mero yaar fakir mein”. Maniben was shattered after hearing this but did not react.
Then when Ghanshyam Birla came to him, he heard him saying, “Open Mangal Mandir Dayamay.” Maniben told him, “It seems that the day which I was afraid of is about to come”. A few drops fell from his eyes.
Now I am not going to live long…
On December 10, when his personal doctor, Dr. Nathubhai Patel, prepared to give him an injection, Patel immediately refused, “It makes my stomach upset.” Nathubhai and Dr. Gilder had come from Mumbai. Along with him were the doctors who attended Patel in Delhi. His condition seemed to be continuously worsening. Then the doctors decided to take him there because of the better weather of Mumbai.
Nehru was told this the night before leaving. He told Vallabhbhai, we have many things to talk about but there is no need for you to worry. Just take care of yourself and get well soon. Before this, Patel said to Gadgil, now I am not going to live long, make a promise to me, when Gadgil said yes, then he held his friend’s hand and said, no matter what the situation and differences are, but stay with Pandit, do not leave him.
Who came to drop them at Delhi airport?
On December 12, he was in a wheelchair when he was being taken to Air Force plane. Nehru, Prasad, Gopalachari, Gadgil, Ghanshyam Das and Menon had come to see him off. When his chair reached the top of the plane, he turned around and waved to everyone. There was a sad smile on the face. Both the doctors and Maniben went with them in the ship.
he was tired as he left
This time Nehru and all his colleagues were emotional while leaving Patel. The air journey was long. Patel became exhausted in this. Morarji Desai and other leaders had come to welcome him at the airport in Mumbai, but Patel did not have enough strength left to meet him or shake his hand. He was taken to Birla House. Where he was kept on oxygen. The nurses were already present. His condition was not improving. He was continuously moaning and in pain.
His pain could not be seen from Maniben. She was praying to God, “Improve his condition but if this is not your wish then please take him under your shelter quickly.”
and their last hours
December 15 was the last day of his life. He suffered a heart attack at 03.00 in the morning. Consciousness gone. He regained consciousness after four hours. He asked for water. Maniben gave the drink from a spoon. He said, it looks sweet. Maniben gave him Ganga water mixed with honey. After this he again lost consciousness.
He breathed his last at 09.37 in the morning. Then son Dahyabhai, daughter-in-law Bhanumati and grandson Bipin were present near his bed. Also, some people from the Birla family along with Secretary Shankar. In this way the life journey of Sardar Patel stopped here.
